Jannock Weblog

14th January for 2 years running

2012-01-17T22:08:00.001Z

I have just completed updating the Jannock website with our cruising logs for 2011. Having finished the ‘single’ page (most previous years are split across several pages) I then went to update the home page accordingly and found that I finished 2010 on the 14th January – snap!

As most people now have much better internet speeds than when the site was created I will endeavour to migrate all the previous trip reports into single page per year as well.

2011 can be found at http://www.jannock.org.uk/2011.html and any reports of errors or broken links would be gratefully received.

Looking forward to 2012’s cruising now ;^)

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

P.S. Went to Norbury Wharf yesterday, en-route to Manchester, and purchased three new 110 a/h domestic batteries at £66 each – bargain, especially if they last more than 6 years like this last lot have.

The year’s figures.

2011-10-24T16:56:00.001Z

During our cruise in 2011 Jannock’s engine ran for 278 hours and consumed 332 litres of diesel.

During that time we travelled 567 miles ( 88 of which were new territory to us ) and passed through 376 locks giving us the rate of 3.4 lock-miles per hour. This is higher than usual due to the number of river miles we travelled having been on the Thames, Wey and Nene.

It was an expensive year due to purchasing a Gold licence, mooring and diesel increases and having to repair a broken window as well as the aquadrive rubber gaiter failing and needing to be replaced but the all-in costs were £4148.47p working out at £14.92 per (engine running) hour.

Roll on spring.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

I saw three ships come sailing …….

2011-10-24T16:18:00.001Z

Saturday 22nd October

Here is a photo of the water levels in Marsworth reservoir that we mentioned last week. The drop down to the fisher-persons tent is about ten foot.

Yet another glorious day, but almost as cold as mid-October should be due to the wind. As we approached Marsworth flight the crew of nb Vital Spark asked to share with us. We worked alongside them, steerers chatting and lockers grafting, an amiable ascent. They were completing their trip to new moorings at Cowroast marina as we were completing Jannock’s seven month trip back to Bourne End.

Along Tring summit I saw my first Kingfisher of 2011, a bit late but better than no sighting at all.

As we approached Bushes lock a little Springer Waterbug pulled out and lead us to the lock landing. There were five adults and a bouncy teenage girl aboard so we were pleased thinking that they’d lighten the load down the rest of the Northchurch locks. I jumped off and opened the gates and both craft entered. There was one lady on the Springer who knew what to do and the rest appeared to be visitors of some sort as the men stood around a lot with windlasses in their hands without a clue as what to do with them. I tried offering advice to get a sequence going but it was all forgotten by the next lock. I told their captain that I would cycle ahead and get the next lock ready and so left them to sort out the bottom gates. At Gas lock Brenda and I were pleased when they said they were stopping at Waitrose as it would be easier doing the locks without them.

We moved down to the next (bottom) lock and I jumped off and opened one gate for Jannock to enter. The Springer appeared between Jannock and the towpath and declared their intention to come through with us. I set off over the lock and to open the other gate whilst their steerer decided she’d just continue on in through the first gate causing Brenda to hit reverse and do some nifty manoeuvring to avoid crashing into their boat or the still closed off-side gate. Their steerer made some comment about not realising that Jannock had intended to enter the lock on the towpath side so Brenda pointed out that was why I had opened that gate. She was told that there was “ no bl@@dy need to be sarcastic”. The crew just hung about, with windlasses in hand as usual, and left most of the work to me and their steerer. Black looks accompanied my departure, having carried the lock-wheeling bike across the bottom gates, to get Raven’s lane lock ready. Once both boats were in, with the assistance on the towpath side top gate of our local BSC examiner, he then started telling off their steerer for the hazardous state of their gas installation. It was a trip hazard at best as well as being lethal if it leaked. Their excuse was that they didn’t have a cylinder of the correct size for the housing and they had to set off in a hurry. His comment was “the number of times I’ve heard that excuse, still doesn’t stop it being dangerous”.

I continued on down and set Rising Sun lock and left them to complete Raven’s lane. They couldn’t get the offside lower gate fully open due to something being stuck behind it but still wanted Jannock to exit first so that they could pull their boat out and close the gates afterwards. Brenda persuaded them to go back in the lock a bit and then got Jannock out around the obstruction. We sighed with relief when they announced they were stopping at the Riser for a drink so once out of that lock we left them to it.

Just a little further on we stopped alongside Tiami for our regular autumn chat with Debbi and Simon. Debbi injured her foot a while ago and I lent her some Terry Pratchett books, to stop her going mad whilst incapacitated and stuck in the boat, so she returned them whilst we were there. A single hander on a rather old and smoky boat came past whilst we were chatting and so we decided not to hurry to lock share. When we finally set off we found her at Top side lock . It was set with just a single top gate open but she rushed round and opened the offside gate for us before bringing her boat in. What a difference! She was only out on her ‘new’ boat for the second day and was keen to learn all the rules and etiquette of the cut. She wanted to become a safe and efficient boater as soon as possible. The company was as good as our first share of the day and far less effort than our second. We continued on through Bottom side and Sewer locks and explained that we’d be mooring up before Winkwell locks.

We pulled onto our mooring at Bourne End and waved a cheery farewell to her and a very interesting cruising season. We left our mooring heading South in April and returned heading South in October and for once have not had to retrace our steps on the southern end of the Grand Union at all.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Another cracking day Grommit!

2011-10-16T11:16:00.001Z

Today we were accompanied for another leg of our homeward run south by neighbours Bob and Diane. Bob has been crew on Jannock before (Tardebigge 2010) but it was Diane’s first trip. We set off from Stoke Hammond at 10:00 in another bonus day of summer. Mid October, us in T shirts (Graham still in shorts) and quite literally not a cloud in the sky all day.

We met nb Earnest (yes, that one) moored for lunch above Church lock and Linda reported that they had woken to a heavy frost and ice on their roof despite the cabin heating being on. I’m sure we won’t cheat autumn for much longer.

It seemed we were unusual in that we were travelling south, but that meant that most of the locks were set in our favour, top gate leaks not withstanding, although we passed through them all solo. The pound between the two Ivinghoe locks was about 18” lower than it should be with the bottom of the cut being exposed at both sides. This meant Jannock’s steering and progress were difficult although the northbound Dutch tjalk that waited for us to ascend through the top lock must had had even more problems in that pound as he drew 3 foot compared to our ‘less than’ 2 foot. All of the other pounds during our journey were close to normal levels and some of the lock bypasses were running.

Once we had moored up, Graham went to fetch the car from Stoke Hammond whilst Bob, Di and I walked to Marsworth reservoir. Here it was very clear that we have paid for our sunny days with water; and that’s over a couple of years now. The normal reservoir water level was clear to see some 10 foot above the fishermen who were a little way down the ‘beach’ which has been sufficiently exposed to allow green plants to establish themselves on it.

It was a surprise to see that the White Lion pub, by Marsworth bottom lock, has closed – but once it had been bistrofied I guess their business plan didn’t meet their customer base and so it was likely to be all downhill. The Red Lion and Angler’s Retreat have both been enjoyed by Jannock crews so it’s not a beer desert in Marsworth yet.

On our journey home we were guiltily amused to see the fire engines, all lights blazing, attending Marsworth’s mobile fish and chip van. They weren’t picking up savaloy and chips for sure. It reminded me of comedy sketches . . . . didn’t Last of the Summer Wine use a mobile chippy to remove a dead body from a lady’s boudoir? Do I remember Arkwright providing Granville with an equally flammable catering outlet in Open All hours? Ah British culture at it’s best and men in uniform. What an end to a lovely day. Thanks to Bob and Di for their company and help along the way.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

What month is it?

2011-10-09T11:06:00.001Z

Saturday 8th October

09:45 and Jannock’s cabin temperature is the same as outside = 11.5 degrees. How did that happen? Normality resumed I suppose but I’m not so sure. After an un-eventful day in the environs of Milton Keynes we can report hedgerows full of blackberries and their flowers, sloes and plums alongside crab apples and ……. pussy willow?

We left Cosgrove after chatting to a couple off of another boat who introduced themselves as fellow Cutweb members. They spotted us by our large bow stickers but we would not have spotted them as we could not see any trace of Cutweb on their boat as we passed. Brian on Harnser recognises members by their boat names but I’m useless with names, much better with numbers me. The herons on this stretch just sit and watch you pass, no flying off as the boat nears for these tough guys. It was good to see the restored mural alongside the track south of Wolverton, and a sadness to see that some prats have already defaced it with their oh so simple minded graffiti.

The run down through MK revealed the same boats on the same towpath moorings with exception of the official BW long term moorings just south of Fenny lock which now seem deserted compared to last year. After all, we’ve been doing this same post-rally run south for 6 years now and I’m amazed how many boats I recognised.

We filled with diesel at Willowbridge marina (95ppl domestic) and as they were selling small trial phials of Fuelset, I purchased enough to treat Jannock’s tank for the winter closedown. Shortly after leaving there I suffered a sneezing fit. About 15 minutes later we identified the allergen as a swathe of oilseed rape in bloom – this is supposed to be October!

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

2nd day of October ….

2011-10-02T15:33:00.001Z

… 2nd day of tropical temperatures.

The cabin temperature was 27 degrees by 12:30 and 33 degrees by 14:00. Luckily we only had a short day today caused mainly by staying late for an enjoyable evening at SB. It was a lovely day today with the early autumn colours, the hawthorns heavy with deep red berries and the farmers preparing the winter wheat fields all looking at odds with the temperature. Just before noon we encountered our first fishing match of the season and it seems that being warm and dry doesn’t improve the mood of those with grumpy tendencies one jot. I have always put their curmudgeonly demeanour down to trench foot and chilblains but no excuses now. We moored up and had lunch after which Graham fetched the car whilst I tidied and locked up before desperately trying to find some shade in which to await his return.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

If you can’t stand the heat …..

2011-10-02T15:21:00.001Z

Saturday 1st October

Well here we are in October and needing the factor 30 by 10 am. 28 degrees or thereabouts. At 2 pm we entered Blisworth tunnel where it was a chilly 17 degrees with frequent drips and deluges that cooled Graham down nicely for the locks. As we emerged from the tunnel it became obvious that their ‘Village at War’ event had been declared and so I searched out my boatwoman’s bonnet and put it on for a while. As we stopped to prepare the top lock Graham was ordered by a clip-boarded warden to move the boat nearer the lock in order for the trip boat to be able to access it’s mooring. He pointed out the fast back pump outfall and explained that if we moved forward into that we’d end up in the pub opposite. That in itself would make getting into the lock difficult enough without the hire boat that was bobbing about in the general hoo-haa also waiting for the lock. Mr warden looked very sheepish and went about his characterisation elsewhere. We shared the whole flight of locks with the hireboat using their crew to work the boats through whilst Graham cycled ahead and prepared the next lock. By the bottom lock I had trained their steerer to stay alongside as we moved the two boats between locks together.

We decided to moor up at the bottom of the flight and walk back up to the village to enjoy the war. Mooring was a bit of a problem, insofar as there were none within easy marching distance but then we noticed nb Justice moored there and so we took advantage and moored alongside. Thanks Steve! (incidentally – Kevin of SB says he hopes you’re OK after nearly getting run over) We met up with Sean (sb Laplander), had a quick recce and a look at the black market (they call it vintage clothing, I call it a jumble sale, only the price breaks are different) before deciding on the pub. The place was heaving with soldiers of all nations (including Germans). The yanks looked like the cast of South Pacific and were augmented by the navy. There was even a gentleman trying to sell corsets and parachute silk directoire knickers. Our cider was attacked by a wasp (told you it was hot) and all this militarism was getting to me. so I killed it! I then flicked it towards the cut but it flew like a kamikaze pilot into some poor blokes beer. Oh how they laughed! I offered to buy him another but he declined. What a gent. The people sat next to us had some rather un-pleasant children and were not really looking after them. I decided to make their lives as unpleasant as they were making ours so I bought myself an ice cream. That made the little darlings whine and plead. Result! The ice creams at the Boat are highly recommended. After more drinks, a meal and lots of chat we wandered back down the flight. Graham had promised me a moon lit night, star spangled as there were no clouds. Just as well that I’d taken a torch as the black-out warden had obviously spoken to the man in the moon. I overhead someone saying it was not a night for a dambusters raid – too dark.

Branda

www.jannock.org.uk

Fun and games at Buckby

2011-09-23T20:20:00.001Z

Thursday 22nd September

We arrived at Braunston dry dock to find Tim re-fitting Jannock’s front fender prior to letting the water back in to re-float her. He had nothing untoward to report about her hull condition except that the front and rear anodes (fitted 2000) will need replacing when she’s next blacked. We left the dock and made our way to the next lock where a single boat had just ascended. I called to the steerer to try and determine whether anything was coming down and got a ‘Yes’ as the answer. OK, so he now knows we are following him, I wonder if he’ll wait. The answer was no, they continued up through Nelson lock solo. Meanwhile, while we waited for the northbound boat to descend through the lock, another two boats joined us waiting to go up and so we ended up sharing the rest of the flight with an ABC hireboat. However, at the next lock the single boat had decided to wait until they saw two boats coming up together at which point they carried on regardless so we never got chance to offer to share so that the ABC boat could return to it’s original partner. One of their crew did not want to pass through the tunnel, she had walked over the top when they came the other way but Brenda persuaded her to stay aboard the boat. It stopped before the tunnel to let her off but she decided to remain on board and was proud that she had overcome her anxiety.

We arrived at Buckby top lock and Peter the lockie asked us to wait until another boat arrived. Eventually the same ABC crew arrived and so we shared this flight with them as well. At lock 9 their oil warning light and buzzer came on and so they wanted to stop. Knowing that there is better access at the bottom of the flight we breasted up with them and Brenda brought them down through locks 9, 10 and 11 whilst they phoned Gayton marina for advice. By lock 12 the ABC engineer had asked the crew to do some checks on their engine and then declared that the oil pressure switch was faulty and that they could continue using the engine. We separated the boats again and continued the flight independently.

All the time we were descending Buckby flight we were accompanied by a nice old couple who were walking along the towpath alongside us. She was keen to see what was happening and how the water was let our through the paddles and he was carefully explaining everything to her as they went. By lock 13 (bottom lock) I had found out that he had been the Buckby lock keeper for thirty-odd years and had lived in the cottage at the bottom lock. He told me how the blacksmiths forge that used to be behind the building, accessed through the low arch, was where the Buckby windlass was made and that he had been presented with the last one ever made there. I asked if he still possessed it but he said he had given it away years ago. He also told me how when the cottage right beside the lock was sold by BW, they included all the grass right up to the lock edge in the sale. Consequently, when he went to cut it a few days after the new owner had moved in, he was told off because it was not BW property anymore.

Once through the locks and onto the long pound we had lunch on the move and then found a suitable fourteen day mooring to leave Jannock on as I will be away learning how to do sign writing this weekend.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Brenda’s Monday rantette.

2011-09-20T14:35:00.001Z

Monday 19th September

Whilst we were waiting above Braunston bottom lock, I assisted crews at the lock to pass the time. A new hirer appeared and his boat entered the empty lock soon afterwards. I held back from shutting the other bottom gate as another boat was approaching. “That’s nice” he said ”it’s pleasant courtesy to share a lock I suppose” I explained that it was not courtesy but the current rules and pointed to the BW notice on the balance beam that stated that boats should wait, for up to 1 hour, for another sharer to come along before starting the flight. He read it and said it couldn’t apply to hire boats as they had paid for their holiday and would not want to waste it hanging around. Once the bottom gates were closed he went off to open the top paddles regardless of any steerers readiness. Apple bobbing sprang into my mind so as we chatted I slipped in that it was a courtesy to check that both steerers are ready before adding water to a lock. “Why?” was the response so I then explained the dangers involved and that people can get hurt. “Oh no” he said very gently “we don’t want to hear about things like that. We are on holiday. You are just joking …… “ I assured him that I was not and explained last year’s fatality at Cropredy. He really didn’t listen any more. It was only after they had gone into the second lock, pretty well sideways, that G and I heard that we had only just missed another boater being taken off by Air Ambulance after falling off her boat that very morning and their boat was tied up outside UCCs office at the end of the lock landing. I bet Mr Newby takes more care about his choice of lunch sandwich than his crews safety! We should all take care to support our Air Ambulances charities.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Cutweb Rally 2011

2011-09-20T13:19:00.001Z

Friday 16th September

En-route to Jannock we stopped at Lee Sanitation and collected the ‘manual pump-out repair kit’ that I had reserved for collection earlier in the week. After loading all our stuff aboard Jannock I set Brenda off towards the top of Stockton flight and I drove the car to park it in the little car-park opposite the Boat Inn. I then walked to the top lock and had it ready when Jannock arrived. This is the first time we’ve approached the rally at Blue Lias down the flight without a horde of helpers that have walked up from the bottom to assist. We completed the flight in 1 hour and 15 minutes which we thought was good. On exiting the bottom lock we found eight boats already in attendance and we winded in the arm and moored alongside Lord Toulouse, third out from the bank. Having assessed the mooring situation we decided to shuffle a few boats around and then moor Jannock in the ‘buffer-zone’ (the mooring right outside the Blue Lias terrace immediately in front of the bridge) which made more space available for the fifteen boats expected. The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent catching up with people we hadn’t seen for about a year and me collecting everybody's money to pay for the rally.

Saturday 17th September

A lazy start was followed by an overhaul session with our self pump-out equipment to replace the perished bellows and prepare it for our return journey through Braunston on Monday. The weather was threatening to rain in the afternoon when it was planned to have a boules tournament on the lawn so I opened up the Blue Lias function room and set up Brenda’s Wii so that we had an indoor alternative. This turned out to be an excellent insurance policy as the Beeky Boules competition passed without any of the threatened rain interfering with proceedings. Tea and cake on the lawn, that followed, was moved into the function room due to the rain clouds finally arriving and an impromptu Wii ten pin bowling competition started.

Our evening entertainment was provided by Life an Times who sang the songs from their production Where the working boats went. During the intermission a poor attempt was made at devouring the Ploughman’s buffet which saw quite a few French sticks being returned to the kitchens un-eaten. The evening was rounded off with Cutweb Infinity Raffle.

Sunday 18th September

The booking in time for items to be included in the morning auction was 10.00 and so no laying in bed this morning. I had obtained some un-labelled Vale VPA beer in presentation boxes of 3 bottles and had made up new labels identifying it as Bowthruster, Cutweb Pale Ale. These seemed to sell well in the auction with one pack reaching a whopping £10. Unfortunately for the purchaser, he wasn’t there so he’ll have a pleasant surprise when he gets the bill ;^)

After the auction a roast beef sunday lunch was served to all who required it with Sunday afternoon being Free Time. I took the opportunity to take my car to UCC at Braunston bottom lock as that was where we would be heading on Monday in order for Jannock to be placed in the dry-dock to be blacked. I returned on the Di Blasi in time for tea ready for the evening quiz which was organised by Brenda and myself as we were part of last years winning team.

Monday 19th September

There were six Cutweb boats wanting to ascend the Stockton flight at about 8am on Monday morning and we were first off the blocks partnering nb Uncle Mort. We breasted Jannock against U.M. once in the bottom lock and let Andrew use the power of his Lister JP3 to move boat boats while Brenda, Sheila and I did the locking with Barney supervising. Luckily the first 4 locks were set for us with bottom gates opened by crew members from the other boats behind and so we completed the flight in 45 minutes. On then to Calcutt locks where we met a pair of boats leaving each lock as we were ready to enter and so we passed up that flight quite smoothly as well. Thanks to the crew of Hampshire Rose and all the other boats through the year that have called out to say they enjoy Jannock’s blog and the website content. We’re tempted to say “get a life” but that would be rude and also a complete antithesis of how pleased we are that our (Brenda’s) rantings brighten someone's day.

A Wigrams we turned left towards Braunston and started the slow slog across the level pound meeting lots of on-coming craft and eventually becoming pig-in-the-middle of a procession of eight boats until we reached Braunston turn where most of the ones in front of us turned left towards Rugby. We stopped at the Braunston sani-station again and this time I managed a complete pump-out due to not having a perished pump. Brenda made a snack dinner which was rapidly eaten as we made our way towards the bottom lock. We ascended this lock and then pulled over to moor up whilst awaiting the previous user of the dry dock to leave so that we could reverse in. We then loaded all our stuff into the car and left for home.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Autumn Soddit Cruise – Day 2

2011-09-12T21:31:00.001Z

Sunday 11th September

We decided last night that I would get up early and set off as a strong wind was forecast for later in the day and I wanted to wind in Braunston before it got too strong. Consequently I was up and away at 7:30 whilst Brian and Ian had a more leisurely start. There was sunshine, blue skies and little wind as we made our way down into Braunston. We passed Virgo, moored up just before the A45 bridge, which was sporting an enormous HF aerial attached to the rear of the boat. Guy appeared at the front doors complaining about us being up and on the move whilst he was just getting up.

At the Braunston sani-station I set up the self pump-out equipment only to find that the pump had sprung a leak as one of the diaphragms had perished. So I put it all away again and we then winded in the marina entrance to set off toward Wigrams turn and the Grand Union towards Stockton.

Once we had crossed the puddlebanks (and noticed that the old BW house at the turn is up for auction) we found that most of the offside trees and hedges between Wolfhampcote and Flecknoe have been removed and so the strong wind blew across the canal and took Jannock with it making steering very difficult. Luckily there were not so many boats about today so we didn’t keep having to wait at bridgeholes. At Wigrams we turned under the bridge and arrived at Calcut locks just as nb The Angels Share caught us up so we shared the flight with them. They were a newly delivered boat that was having it’s first long trip down to Stratford-on-Avon and back. Once through the locks we moored up for lunch and more fishing so I went and fetched the car from Brinklow using the Di Blasi.

At the end of the weekend, Ian had caught all the fish (eight in total), Brian won at Soddit and I negotiated a deal for some special Cutweb beer to be sold at the charity auction next weekend. Result!

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Autumn Soddit Cruise – Day 1

2011-09-12T21:06:00.001Z

Saturday 10th September

Last night we arrived at Jannock having visited the excellent fish and chip shop in Brinklow. They were definitely the best I have had since I visited Busy Lizzies in Skipton during 1995. We then loaded our provisions etc. aboard, cracked open the beer and the Soddit began and continued on till well past our bedtimes ;^)

Saturday morning dawned bright and far too early so we breakfasted and then departed almost immediately. This was un-usual because neither Ian or Brian set up their fishing rods prior to us setting off – they usually have a breakfast session before the off. Are they losing interest? During transit of the Newbold tunnel, Rule Britannia was played at full volume much to the amusement of a Black Prince hireboat that we passed mid tunnel. The family that were walking through using the towpath were not so amused though. We stopped near bridge 58 to fill with water whilst Brian nipped across to Tescos. Once on the move again we immediately passed Linda aboard nb The Busker and Sarah-May on nb Shelley-Anne. I called hello but Sarah-May only appeared as we had moved farther away and so a brief shouted greeting occurred. They are both en-route to the Cutweb rally next weekend as we are.

We stopped for lunch before Hillmorton locks and the fishists (well Ian) even managed to catch a few roach although he seemed to lose a lot of hooks in the trees opposite our mooring in the process. No queueing through the locks so a quick ascent was made using a lock recently vacated by a northbound boat each time. All the time the wind was gradually increasing to I was glad to clear the locks and get up some speed again to fight the side wind.

On the Barby straight we passed Draco and Success moored up. I spoke with Mike as we passed but did not stop as I had just got past a very slow and unpredictable boat that had been ahead of us and I didn’t want him to pass me again. We finally moored up for the night in the shelter of a large hedge just past Willoughby Wharf. Ian cooked the dinner and then another evening of Soddit commenced finally giving up at about 12:30. There was a big full moon which kept it quit light all night.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

If it’s August, why are my fingers and toes numb?

2011-08-29T20:26:00.001Z

Monday 29th August

An un-eventful days cruising in disappointing weather. The highlight of which was a concerted effort to get as many cooking apples as possible from the tree adjacent to bridge 3A. Graham made a collecting device from his new bucket and the broom using a couple of cable ties to join them together. Initially he dislodged the apples using our short boat hook whilst attempting to catch them in the bucket as they were well out of reach. This was only partly successful and so he then used the bucket/broom to collect those he’d not managed to catch from the water where they had landed. During this activity we were passed by steam nb Tixhall, heading up the Ashby, who had a trail of three boats queued up behind him. All crews smiled and approved heartily of our scrumping activities. What is the adult world coming to? We should have had our ears boxed and given a severe talking to ;^)

Onto the Coventry canal and we travelled to Hawkesbury where we turned onto the Oxford through Suttons stop with no queues. We continued south meeting lots of northbound craft proving that the water shortages further south were encouraging people to try the north Oxford instead. After a couple of hours we tied up on a suitable 14 day mooring and Graham fetched the car whilst I prepared dinner. A tidy up and home ready for Graham to go back to work tomorrow.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

You need a road name.

2011-08-29T20:10:00.001Z

Brenda rant 29/8/11

Efficiency ; discuss- imagine you find some poor soul wandering through unfamiliar rural lanes not a million miles from a village, a small town and then a fairly well known city we’ll call Coventry. You remember your first aid learnt in the volunteer sector so that’s a bonus for the tax payer, and assess his condition pretty accurately, not going to be violent, walking wounded; but not walking far enough for help not to be necessary. Help appears, ahh, the volunteer society again, it happens despite governmental policy gurus. Poor soul is delivered quite near to his place of safety, he just can’t remember exactly where he lives, whether or not he’s got to work tomorrow or even when his birthday is. He can, however, remember how to use his mobile phone to show us the picture of the scan of his baby-to-be. Ahh, sweet!

It’s time for the public sector to take over – thanks guys, you were great; all of you. The paramedic in his car, the three policemen in their two cars and the ambulance crew of two who came when the paramedic was able to concur with the cut on the head and concussion diagnosis – had it been worse than we’d thought he’d have needed - - - - oh, an ambulance anyway. I presume the Police turned up to make sure that no crime had been committed; no crime was reported or even suspected. I bet someone somewhere was reporting their suspicions and being told that no Police could be made available until a crime actually happens as they are very busy. The police left once they had ascertained that no crime had even been thought about.

Now the daft thing is this – after dialling 999 all that rapid response, high tech professional and expensive help depended on one thing. It was close run; we needed a road name so that computer aided help could be dispatched. We knew which town we were in, we knew which pub and retail outlet car park we were in, we even knew which supermarket chain had it’s sole representative in that town just across the road, but until Graham ran around the area whilst on the 999 call, we had no idea of the street name. You see, if there hadn’t been a spare kindly passerby to do a quick local geographical survey they would not have been able to send a paramedic and two police cars to the aid of a poor bloke, covered in blood with no idea of what planet he was on, let alone where his mates had gone or even which way was up.

So if you plan to need an ambulance just be sure you know where you are on the map or get help from someone local who knows where they are. This has special relevance to us ‘canal users’. “We just passed the water treatment works outside the village with the fabulous church spire, after lock 3 but before you reach bridge 48”just ain’t gonna help in this efficient age.

Rant over

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock to the rescue – again

2011-08-28T22:39:00.001Z

I got up and set off towards Snarestone at 8 am this morning whilst Brenda was still in her bed. By 9am we were passing through Bosworth Wharf which is the furthest we have been up the Ashby before and so we were now clocking up more new territory again – we’ve done well so far this year.

Shackerstone was busy with all the reserved moorings filling up before the festival next weekend. We continued on through Snarestone tunnel and up to the canal terminus where we winded to return through the tunnel and moor at the southern end in order to take Sunday lunch in the Globe Inn. An excellent roast dinner washed down with Brains S.A. and followed by home made plum crumble (that even had real stones in ;^) This establishment gets a Jannock recommendation although their kitchens will be closed between the 6th and 12th of September due to staff holidays.

After lunch we returned through the Shackerstone chicane where we passed Nuneaton and Brighton moored in the reeds and even had to follow a reversing boat for about 1/4 of a mile as he looked for his mooring. We had one really heavy rainstorm during this exercise which lasted until we reached Market Bosworth again.

Upon mooring for the night at Dadlington wharf we decided to go for an evening constitutional around the village. It was at this point that the fun started. Having completed a walk around the village green we then headed down the Stoke Golding road hoping to find the canal in order to return to Jannock along the towpath. Halfway down the hill we came across a young man who was covered in blood and exhibiting signs of concussion. We persuaded him to sit on a bench seat and use my handkerchief in order to try and stem the bloodflow from a large gash above his left eye. It would appear that he had been riding an off-road motorcycle with a couple of mates and he’d fallen off. There was no sign off his mates now and he was wandering around looking for them. At that point a lady stopped her passing car and offered to help. Alex, the patient, said he lived in Hinkley and so she offered to take him home if we accompanied her. On arrival in Hinkley it became obvious that Alex could not remember where he lived and as all of our attempts to contact his girlfriend using his mobile had failed I decided it was time to dial 999 and get him some professional help. We were parked in the car park between the Windmill Inn and Halfords. The emergency services operator insisted on me giving a road for where we were. I had no idea as I’m not familiar with this area at all and so I ended up having to run out to the main road in front of the pub in order to find the road name.

A paramedic arrived quite quickly closely followed by two police cars. It was decided that Alex required hospital treatment and so an ambulance was summoned. During all this time Alex spent his time either asking us who we were or else apologising to Brenda, me and the medic for inconveniencing us. By the time the ambulance arrived so had Alex’s missing mates, their mum, his girlfriend and even his dad almost filling up the car park. The manageress of the Windmill pub came over to explain that they did not have any CCTV cameras panned on the car park and so could not provide any evidence on what had happened to Alex. We re-assured her that the incident had occurred else where. At one point the paramedic said he needed to check Alex’s blood sugar levels. After searching through his pockets and scanning the contents he’d removed Alex admitted to the medic that he did not have any sugar on him.

Once Alex was inside the ambulance everyone seemed to just disappear and so the nice lady returned us to Jannock at Dadlington wharf in her car. What an evening!

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

and onto the Ashby

2011-08-28T13:09:00.001Z

Saturday 27th August

We set off and immediately ran straight into a Bank Holiday traffic jam, 4th in the queue for Sutton stop lock. Progress through would have been faster but for the two 60+ foot boats moored inside the turn outside the Greyhound pub (which we didn’t visit last night due to the persistent rain). They gave very little room for those needing to manoeuvre to ascend the lock. I think words were ‘had’ as the hire boat that seemed only to be there for fishing moved off all in a dither.

When we passed later they were moored up again, just up the Coventry canal, past the 14 day moorings and the rods were out again. The lads sat on picnic chairs on the roof were unhappy about taking their lines in as other boats passed so Brenda warned them about the risk of getting their tackle caught round a propeller – were they bovvered?

We moored up against Grace at the rear of the Rigden villa and went in for tea, cake and catching up. We were also treated to a scary movie that someone had taken of their attempt to enter the Great Ouse.

Then off up the Ashby and our first harvest of the year. The joy of scrumping apples and there is a great tree full of nice cooking apples on the offside at bridge 3A. Within one hour (i.e. 3 miles) they were stewed so think of the food-miles!

As we approached Stoke Golding we found ourselves tagged onto the end of a funerial procession of two cruisers following a very slow narrowboat. By the time we reached Bradfield Bridge the number of boats in the queue had increased and so we pulled over to moor for the night. Intelligence gained on Sunday showed that all three boats at the head of the queue were together and the narrowboat had an engine problem.

We spent an excellent evening on our quiet mooring glued to the television. Serial episodes of Last of the Summer wine' followed by the comedy prom on Beeb2. All in all a day of sunshine and heavy cold showers which required the cape.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A very grey day

2011-08-26T18:51:00.001Z

I took today off work to have a 4 day bank holiday weekend. We left home in the pouring rain hoping it would improve as the day went on. It was still raining when we arrived at Jannock and so we got wet unloading the car as well. We decided to have lunch before setting off and the rain stopped and the sun tried to come out whilst we were doing so, it dried up enough for me to be able to move the car to a safer parking place and return on the Di Blasi without getting wet. We set off heading North with the intent of doing the Ashby this weekend. I jumped ship as we approached Stretton stop so that I could walk ahead to get the swingbridge. Mean while Brenda had to pass a southbound Viking Afloat craft on the wrong side and wait whilst a narrowbeam barge was moved onto the slipway before she could move on. Both tasks were hindered by the Rose hireboats being moored two abreast between the railway bridge and the arm junction. Once passed Stretton the rain started again and so Brenda disappeared inside whilst I took the helm. We had passed through Ansty (including stopping at the water point and filling up) and were alongside the M6 before she re-appeared having fallen asleep on the sofa. She is still blaming the general anaesthetic she had ten days ago but I think that excuse is getting a bit weak now ;^) We moored for the night on the visitor moorings before Sutton Stop so hopefully we will wander down the Greyhound later.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

What queues at Hillmorton?

2011-08-16T13:13:00.001Z

Sunday 14th August 2011

When we arrived above Hillmorton locks last weekend (see Braunston was busy (and wet!) ) there were long queues to descend as one of each pair of locks had been closed to conserve water stocks. This action has pro’s and con’s as far as I can see as you are less likely to have to turn a lock if both are in use but the queues of boats indicate that less water is being used as progress through the flight is much slower. In any case, we moored Jannock up and went home leaving the locks until our next planned day on board.

This Sunday we were accompanied by Gladys, our neighbour who feeds our cat for us when we have weekends and holidays away, and we arrived allowing plenty of time to get through the obstacle. As I was preparing to set off two boats passed us heading for the locks and when a third appeared further back along the cut I hastily cast off to join the queue. What queue? Both locks of each pair were in use and we just had to wait one boat before we could enter a top lock. It would appear that after the complaints received, BW were operating both locks between 09:00 and 16:00 at weekends and reverting to single lock operation for the rest of the time.

At each of the remaining two locks we entered a ready lock after an ascending boat had departed and so a good run down the flight was made. Brenda did have a steering issue exiting the second lock as were on the towpath side and the boat waiting to ascend insisted on parking himself right outside the lower gate giving her no room at all to get out. She finally persuaded him that moving out of her way would allow him to enter the lock quicker than just sitting there. Out of the bottom lock and both taps were in use and so we didn’t stop for a water fill. On through Clifton and Rugby with no problems until we were passing through Newbold tunnel. A hireboat approaching from the other end decided not to enter the tunnel but go into the offside bank just outside the northern portal. They managed to go aground effectively blocking the canal due to having two boats following them that now had no where to go. We stopped and waited whilst they got themselves unstuck and then informed them that the tunnel was wide enough to pass in.

As we approached Lime Farm marina a boat was coming out through the bridge so we stopped mid channel again and waited for them to finish their manoeuvre. Unfortunately as the bows came round to point south, their stern went aground on a large submerged obstacle that is against the piling at the north side of the marina entrance, and they found that they were unable to move at all. The marina staff came out and assisted getting them afloat again and off they went. I decided I’d take the opportunity to fill Jannock’s tank and so I reversed her into the marina. They take self declared tax splits here and so I put 100 litres of 60/40 in at £117.00p.

We said farewell and managed to get out without encountering any submerged obstacles and moved on until we found a suitable 14 day mooring. I then fetched the car from Hillmorton whilst Brenda and Gladys picked blackberries from the hedgerow. After dinner we cleaned up, locked up and headed home in time for my regular Sunday evening Soddit session.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Braunston was busy (and wet!)

2011-08-08T20:13:00.001Z

Sunday 7th August

We arrived at Jannock later than anticipated due to the queues of Fords that were completely blocking the A43 whilst trying to get into Silverstone. Their refusal to move over and queue in the left hand lane added 25 minutes to a 1 hour journey. Simon and Lois were already on-board, having arrived some when after 3am and so the boat was open and ready on our arrival – however Simon and I did a car shuffle first as we had two vehicles available.

We set off at about 11am and went into Braunston tunnel which was remarkably dry considering the rain we’ve had recently. I got the impression we were following more than one boat through and we met seven coming the other way. Lucky for them this wasn’t a Soddit cruise with DJ Brian on board playing Jerusalem and the Dambusters march at loud volume during our passage.

We arrived at the top of Braunston flight to find ourselves fourth in the queue to descend. We paired up with nb Owl and shared the top lock after two lockings of ascending craft had passed. In the next pound the two boats in front of us were waiting whilst more ascending craft were coming through their lock and it stayed like this for the whole flight. Brenda overheard a woman walking up the towpath telling her friend that she was suffering from “water can envy” after she had observed the nicely painted cans on Owl’s roof.

We parted with Owl at lock 4 as an earlier singleton had broken up another pairing and so every-one was changing partners. The place alongside us as we descended lock 4 was taken by a Willow Wren hire craft with a 10 strong hen party on board – two of which seemed to know what they were doing whilst the rest just watched on in a bemused fashion. We were told that the ‘bride to be’ was still in her bed and was unlikely to surface before the bottom of the flight. Seventy percent of the crew were still imbibing and getting worse, lock by lock. I’m glad I wasn’t at Hillmorton when they attacked those locks.

Above the bottom lock we found four boats waiting (and a moored butty) and so were unable to move out of the second lock until two of them had moved into the bottom lock to go down. This also meant that the two ascending boats wanted to get into the lock we were still in. After the WW boat had moved out, one of the ascending pair came in beside Jannock so that the chain could move and Jannock could get out – you know, like one of those puzzles where you have to move the squares around inside a frame. We then had to change partners again and the hen party went down with Owl who was now a singleton and we were joined by yet another partner – a bit like country dancing I suppose.

Whilst we waited above the bottom lock, the heavens opened with a really heavy rain storm so Simon and Lois rushed inside whilst Brenda and I got us down through the lock. By the time we were out, Brenda was completely soaked below the waist and so I sent her in to get changed and I took over the tiller. After all, I was in shorts and sandals below my waterproof coat so it didn’t matter about my lower half getting wet. I steered us past the junction and onto the North Oxford canal where we found ourselves ahead of a group of three boats.

The rain stopped and the sun came out again and funnily enough so did our crew ;^) and so it was time to teach Lois to steer Jannock. For a first timer she did quite well, only getting wobbly a couple of times when instinct says push the tiller when she really needed to pull it. She appreciated my ‘New steerer top tip’ – point the wooden end of the tiller bar towards what you want to MISS!

We ended the day, after mooring up, with a nice hot curry that had been cooking away in the slow cooker all the time we were moving. A quick wash-up and lock-up before we took them back to Simon’s car and said farewell. They were heading back to Manchester and us down to Oxford.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 13

2011-07-21T20:56:00.002Z

Red sky at night …. is possibly a load of old twaddle! Another red sky as we walked back from Little Houghton last night, another grey, cold and damp morning – Ahh high summer.

I reversed elegantly from our overnight mooring and fell in behind nb Toad of Toad Hall. We had been warned when we met Brian this week that they were en-route between the Middle Levels and the Canal system. They were a pleasure to share with all the way today. We pulled onto the service point at Midsummer Meadows today hoping for a pumpout, but despite everyone's efforts no effluent was going anywhere. The pump appeared to be working OK and investigation beneath the man-hole cover above the sani-station showed that the drains were blocked because the man-hole was full up to the brim. We phoned Northampton council, as instructed on the signage, to let them know but they’d obviously all popped to the loo!

We went past the Carlsberg mass keggery to possibly the best smell in the world, spent hops and malt. It reminded us of our school days in Alton, Hants when there were three breweries active in one town.

We were pleased that nb Toad of Toad Hall went first up the Northampton Arm as they were 3 crewed and back-set all of the locks for us which made our passage that little bit easier. At lock 14 we had to drag a ‘Yeti’ out of the way before we could open the gate. nb Melaleuca warned us yesterday of low levels between locks 7 and 5 – Thanks. Luckily, even though they appeared lower than when we came down, we had no problem as we don’t draw much which is why the wind blows us around so often.

Up to Gayton we went as we are going home one day earlier than planned. Due to the Aquadrive gaiter surrendering during our trip, Graham had ordered the repair kit on the internet and we need to fix it. Whilst I cleared up and made dinner, he went down in the engine hole and removed it in order to carry out the repair in the comfort of his shed tomorrow. He hopes to refit it to Jannock later tomorrow while I do the best part of two weeks washing.

To sum up – a busy two weeks, friends old and new well met, beautiful countryside, lovely villages and towns visited, disappointing weather – but then we didn’t get really wet as we stayed inside during the deluge at Elton. Wind burn rather than sun burn ;^)

Tree of the trip – Lime, the scent was gorgeous and reminded me of my mum.

Bird of the trip – the Terns were a real pleasure to watch, and a bit of a novelty.

Animal of the week – Matt’s kitten Mooshie who has had a car accident while we’ve been away and has had to have the top of his femur removed. Get well soon Puss!

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 12

2011-07-20T21:38:00.002Z

After a very peaceful night pegged to the bank just before Wollaston lock we set off at about 10 am. As we rose in the lock another upstream boat arrived and so we agreed to wait for them at the next lock. We had seen this couple aboard their anonymous boat at Aston lock last Saturday. At Doddington lock we settled inside the empty lock and waited for them to catch up with us. As we waited a down-stream boat arrived to pass through but the crew agreed to wait on the lock landing for our potential partners to arrive. This boat was an ex-Viking afloat boat on it’s way to Willy Watt marina for blacking and I had a long chat with it’s owner about the stern fender as it was similar to the Black Prince style fitted to Jannock. Our partners arrived and we worked through the lock together. As we were leaving another up-stream boat arrived to share with the boat that had waited and so it all worked out OK in the end.

At Whiston lock there were lots of large weed clumps floating about in the entrance to the chamber and they prevented Jannock from entering alongside the other boat. I had to man-handle them out of the lock using the long shaft before we could get in alongside the other boat. We took it in turns to stay and turn each lock as we passed through except for the two locks where we met boats going the other way – which definitely makes life easier.

We bade farewell to our partners at Weston Favell lock, just after the Northampton Boat and Shed club, as they were continuing on to Morrisons in Northampton whilst we moored up opposite the Washlands again for the night. I used the nice pontoon mooring here to allow me to remove the middle bedroom window and re-install it in order to fix the leak we discovered during the heavy rain last Saturday. I’ll do the two on the other side of the boat later on this week.

This evening we walked across the Washlands to the village of Little Houghton, explored the village and finished off with a very nice pint in the Four Pears (NOT Red Lion as stated in the Imray guide) which appears to be an up-market gastro-pub, so up market that even the local vicar looked under dressed.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 11

2011-07-19T20:35:00.001Z

Last night we spent a very enjoyable evening with Terry and Christine aboard nb Grace catching up on the three years since we last met. They left the Denford mooring at 9:30 this morning and we set off in the other direction at 10:00.

Near Woodford we passed this Olympic athlete in training for the “Duathalon”. He had just completed the “Trudging with a heavy load” course and was about to start the fishing coarse!

After Upper Ringstead lock Brenda went inside for a bath whilst I remained at the tiller, passing time watching all of the fish in the perfectly clear water in this stretch. I spotted a couple of reasonable size pike within a couple of hundred metres of each other.

A flight of seven powered gliders flew overhead in something that loosely resembled a formation, obviously Air Cadet aircraft being dispersed to RAF stations ready for the impending Summer Camp season.

At Irthingborough lock it started to rain heavily and so once through, we tied up on the Rushton and Diamonds visitor mooring for lunch. The rain passed and so we continued on to Wellingborough where we stopped for water and a quick trip to Tesco.

Back on board, and still solvent, we continued up through Upper Wellingborough lock and then moored for the night against a bank just before Wollaston lock.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

P.S. Hello Simon from nb Melaleuca, sorry I was late posting tonight. Had to wash up first ;^(

Jannock does the Nene – Day 10

2011-07-18T17:53:00.001Z

The volume of rainwater coming downstream means that we are now experiencing the ‘windlass free lock’. The lower guillotine gates do not require one and the amount of water spilling over the top gates means that there is no point winding up the paddles as the lock fills quite quickly without doing so.

As we approached Thrapston we found the big E.A. weedcutter descending Islip lock. The crew were trying to move it downstream below Islip Mill footbridge, which is the lowest on this part of the navigation, before the levels rose too much. The driver reckoned he might have about 1-2 cm to spare

despite the funky rising cab it is fitted with. Their technique to get it under the bridge was to shift all of the harvested weed on the conveyor forwards towards the cutters which made the front of the craft dip into the water. They then lowered the control cab to it’s lowest position and as they inched under the bridge they used the conveyor to move the weed load towards the rear at the same time as accelerating to dip the stern. They just got through. as we left Islip lock we were warned that the river levels are increasing and to be careful.

The truth about Rushton and Diamonds – straight from the E.A. The water and power to the services at R&D were cut off when the football club went into liquidation. The E.A. have not been able to get anyone to restore them and latterly have been refused access to the facilities. The E.A. is trying hard to be able to re-instate electricity, water and management of the facilities.

Lunch stop was the Woolpack in Islip in the company of nb Harnser’s crew, Brian and Diana, who turned up on cue as the coffee and cake was ready for us and the E.A. man. Two more cups please! A pleasant lunch was had by all. And then Brian exited the awkward mooring and went through the bridge in one go with much aplomb.

After that we set off for Denford moorings for another rendezvous. Kettle magic again – just as the tea had brewed the Rigdens pulled into the moorings behind us on nb Grace.

nb Melaleuca hoved into view a good few minutes after we’d heard his Lister engine. Honestly there is no pleasing some people. He asked if we were the Jannocks who blogged, we agreed we were. “You’re going the wrong way then” he replied. – Readers, please keep up to date! we write this rubbish, the least you could do is read it on time ;^) Joking apart, “Hi there Melaleuca crew, we may see you later as we’re now heading in the same direction”

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 9

2011-07-17T17:01:00.001Z

Graham’s grooming tips :- never perform your Sunday morning ablutions so vigorously that you get cramp in your neck and it gets stuck under your armpit!

At 08:30 I awoke enough to realise that Graham had gone on a goose rescue mission. A canada goose had got in a right pickle with cramp or some such. It was floating down the mill cut with it’s head stuck behind it’s wing and was fading fast. Nothing Graham or the fisherman on the opposite bank did allowed them to catch it and help. Eventually, just as it looked as if it’s goose was cooked, one last flap and kerfuffle saw the head pop out from under the wing. Goose paddled slowly off with a visible crick in it’s neck, now able to stay the right way up, breathe and feed. Phew!

Name that bird - please? Last night it was delightful to hear, at 05:30 this morning I wanted to shoot the bl@@dy thing. It sings from the treetops, loud short bursts of song, each repeated two or three times, each different and melodious. A warbler of some description? Unfortunately our Birds of Britain book doesn’t do audio snippets.

We strolled into Oundle and had elevenses (whilst sheltering from the rain) in a very nice coffee shop. It’s a very pretty town with most necessities. There is a decent Co-op as you enter or leave using the Ashton path. As we walked through the fields we were in danger of joining a ‘trudging team of the third age’. Later as we travelled up river we witnessed the extended sport, a duathalon of trudging (inc. hauling heavy trolleys and bags) and fishing. Surely a good bet for 2012?

The sunshine and showers turned to windy and heavy showers so I found it convenient to keep popping inside to wash and rinse the laundry whilst Graham remained doggedly at the tiller. We moored for the night on the 48 hour moorings below Titchmarsh lock in a howling gale and watched the water pour over the top gates of the lock. Telecommunications with Mr Holt of this parish informed us that the river was high enough further upstream to prevent narrowboats going under some bridges without damage, so an early stop gives a chance for the water levels to subside as long as it doesn’t rain more.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 8

2011-07-16T18:46:00.001Z

The Crown Inn at Elton proved to be an excellent pub last night, go past the mill from the moorings, across the meadow and into the village. It’s down Duck Street to the left.

This morning we awoke to mizzle and breakfasted as the rain increased. By normal setting off time we chose to listen to classic FMs best, read Terry Pratchett, start and immediately get wrong an epic-strength cross stitch and check out the window leaks that became apparent during the downpour. Graham got cabin fever despite the activity and chose to prepare lunch – another historic meal; we are using up ye olde shippes provisions at a goodly rate. We also haven’t died of new fangled best before dates yet either. To ward off scurvy we opened Iris’ wonderful nutty and fruity cake, especially provisioned for the voyage.

We upped pegs and set off at 13:30 hours, our meteorology report having been phoned in by one Mr Holt, currently of this parish, who informed us that it had just stopped raining in Northampton. We met a group of very be-draggled young canoeists. They looked no more cheerful than the all England wet-weather under 18s trudging team who passed by whilst we were moored up after obviously camping out last night. That Duke of Edinburgh has got a lot to answer for.

nb Gower was leaving Elton as we did so we asked if they were happy to lock share. They said that they’d be winding before Warmington lock so we went on through only to have them turn up at the lock landing when we were halfway through because they’d changed their minds. When we arrived at Perio lock we sat and waited for them to arrive and shared. As we arrived at Cotterstock lock, a couple of cruisers crewed by some 20 somethings, beers in hand, were about to descend. We were about to pull onto the lcok landing but were pleased when they left the lock in our favour. In we went, they were even prepared to wait for Gower to arrive. We’ll admit we had to examine our predjudices. After waiting with no sign they decided to start the locking process but then Gower rounded the bend and so they raised the gate again and Gower slipped in beside us. Thanks, much appreciated.

After passing through Ashton lock solo as Gower moored up in the meadow near Oundle, we pulled into the mill stream and moored for the night in the same location as last Tuesday. Our second favourite mooring of the trip and luckily not restricted to 24 hours like our favourite.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 7

2011-07-15T18:45:00.001Z

Out of the seven boats moored on the 24 hour moorings in Overton lake last night we were the last to leave. I took the opportunity of having a full length pontoon to polish Jannock’s paintwork. I then pushed her over to the next vacant pontoon and did the other side as well. Once I had finished then we set off and rejoined the river, turning up stream.

At Alwalton lock we brought Jannock in and two cruisers arrived on the lock landing. One was too wide but the other did not want to join us either. Just then another narrowboat (nb Tane Mahita) arrived and was waved past the cruisers to share with us. They were obviously disappointed not to over take the pair of us before Water Newton lock as they had to follow us through that one and did not even come up to the lockside until after we had left. The next section was a lot longer and they were determined to overtake us so they despatched the fastest cruiser, with a single crew member on board, as soon as the lock gates opened and he overtook us just after Wansford Station. The other cruiser with the rest of both crews on board came steaming past just after Pat Buckles yard. We found the pair of them waiting at Wansford lock whilst yet another narrowboat was working through.

Brenda spotted her first Kingfisher of the year at Wansford today and also her Amarylis, which she bought with us from home, has opened two lovely flowers.

We moored for the night just above Elton lock where we have had to use our gangplank between the back seat and the bank. Brenda is grateful to the ‘Beale Park Woodpecker’ as we have had to pin the plank to the bankside to stop it slipping off.

Right, off to explore the pubs of Elton.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 6

2011-07-14T21:26:00.001Z

River Canal Rescue saves the day – Last night I found that the gaiter fitted around the Aquadrive universal joint had split and that it had sprayed the engine compartment with Molybendum grease. I cleaned up the best I could and then I fabricated a ‘grease guard’ from out of date RCR brochures which was the only source of stiff card I had and some parcel tape. This did the job of preventing it re-covering the engine bay whilst we continued to Peterborough.

We left Wansford station at 10 am and shared the next two locks with nb Great Escape but arrived at the 3rd lock to find another boat had just entered and so we bade farewell to Gt. Escape and shared with the new partner instead.

We continued on into Peterborough where we turned round and moored at the services on the Town Quay. I filled the watertank and did a pumpout before we moved to moor on the embankment and go shopping. If you need the rubbish disposal point here it is around the back of the building with the pumpout switch fitted on the wall. You’ll need an EA key to get at the bins and the door is not signed.

Brenda was not impressed with Peterborough market but the mains shopping streets have all the things we needed. Visit the cathedral and the old city square and shops before going on to Asda where we did our main food shop. There is also a Majestic wine warehouse at the rear through the car park.

At 4pm we left Peterborough and set off upstream to find a more peaceful mooring. We popped into Thorpe meadows for a look-see but decided we would not moor there for the night as the smell of chips from the Boathouse pub adjacent to the mooring was too much to bear. We passed up through Orton lock again and went into Overton lake where we have breasted up next to nb Bill Badger. Nb Great Escape failed to escape as we have them on the other side of us.

Oh dear. Brenda purchased ‘oven bake’ Spam fritters at Asda which has really made my evening. They were so good I was grinning like a Cheshire cat for quite a while. After a fritterful dinner we took a walk around the lakes at Ferry Meadows park. It was lovely to see so many families out enjoying it at 7:30 on a Thursday evening. There were three groups of Guides, Brownies and Scouts having their ‘end of term’ parties, much laughter. As the evening drew to a close we wondered if it was a sunset we could see or the Brownies BBQs getting a little out of control.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 5

2011-07-13T18:22:00.001Z

Wildlife of the day – The Fotheringhay green woodpeckers. We’ve seen more today than in a year at home and we have some nesting there!

Weather – Bah humbug Grey with a chilly wind causing more hassle.

As we left Ashton cut a boat had just arrived at the lock landing; goody a share. Wrong! I prepped the lock whilst Graham reversed Jannock out of the mooring. Older chap took his boat into the lock, younger chap helped me. His dad (on the boat) said he was a squaddie on leave. I was impressed with his battle fitness as he took no time at all to raise a paddle. Both boats were in and Graham went down to raise the guillotine gate. Deja vous as the tiller thumped me again as the rudder was forced over by the water rushing in through the still open paddle. Squaddie had managed about 1/4 open whilst impressing me and then carried on opening it when it was time to close them again. Orders were barked, he can at least take orders. At the next lock I got Jannock in, despite the wind, but older chap got in a real pickle and ended up across the river with a tendency towards the direction from whence he had come. That was the point he decided he was giving up and returning. Squaddie was having a muddlesome time throwing me knitting thinly described as rope but he eventually made their boat safe, pointing back up-stream, so that older chap could walk the dogs. His dogs were attached to frayed poly rope and out of control. The rope got wrapped around Graham’s leg at one point and he has rope burn now. It seems that older chap has spent three years fitting out his boat and it went into the water for the first time this morning. It seems he took none of that time to actually try boating and acquire some skill. I decided that the Army is a safer place this week, because a certain squaddie is on leave.

Later we caught up with nb Great Escape and spent the rest of the day and the locks with them. Their experience was very handy in the increasing wind. Moorings being few and far between, unless you are happy to pay £4 at Fotheringhay – no wonder Mary Queen of Scots lost her head – we found one boats length free at Warnsford Station pontoon and so moored up two abreast just in time for the gents to get excited about seeing the last train of the day puff past.

There have been many lovely churches to see from the river over the last couple of days.

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 4

2011-07-12T20:22:00.001Z

You know your are rural when the spray-can graffiti on derelict walls goes thus “ UHT, use it when you like, it’s still milk”

Today we moved from the Nene (pronounced Nen) to the Nene (pronounced Neen) without needing our passports or having to pass through immigration!

We set off from our delightfully rural mooring, on the offside just downstream from the Middle Nene Sailing Club, at 10am. As we approached Titchmarsh lock (and the Middle Nene Cruising Club) we passed nb Lexa’s empty mooring as Bernard and Sandy are off doing the Thames. At Waddenhoe we stopped on the Kings Head moorings and explored the village, including the church and the dovecot, before having an excellent lunch back in the pub. Beers were Norfolk Wherry and Cocky Blonde – result! The food was very good as well.

Down through Waddenhoe lock and the head wind was getting up making outer garments essential. We saw two cock pheasants having a stand-off in the field alongside the river. Unfortunately the fight was over before we managed to get a photo. At Upper Barnwell lock, Brenda held Jannock on the lock landing whilst I set the lock. When ready, as soon as she loosed off the wind took Jannock’s bows straight across the river and all her attempts to counter it failed. The stern rammed into the bank and the tiller shot round and tried to knock her off of the back of the boat. With sheer effort she managed to stop it and then I was able to heave the bows back into wind to allow her to enter the lock. She was fair shook up by the experience and now has painful shoulder and ribs as a reminder of how close she came to being knocked into the river. A local boater waiting to ascend the lock told Brenda that this lock is an “accident black spot” in windy weather with many boats ending up across the stream. He said the locals didn’t pass through if the wind was up.

We called in to Oundle marina to see if they stocked Engine stop cables but they didn’t so we untied and continued on. We finally moored for the night in Ashton cut and walked up to the village for a look around. Nigel on nb Goosander said that the path to the village was blocked by a fallen tree last Thursday but it has been removed now, in fact we are moored in the exact spot that it fell – anyone want any free logs?

The Chequered Skipper in Ashton has 3 real ales on and offers two meal courses for £10 Monday to Thursday (lunch & evening) and Friday lunchtime. Having eaten in the Kings Head at lunchtime we were tempted but resisted. The food being served looked good and we might try to stop for a meal on the return journey. The wonderful ambience of the village, built in 1900 by the Rothschild family, is enhanced by the number of Peacocks (& hens) strutting around.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 3

2011-07-11T19:06:00.001Z

All these wildfowl nature reserves are a bad influence on Graham. He was up with the lark today; he’d prepped breakfast, tidied away weeks of his “stuff” and finished washing the roof before I surfaced. To make matters worse he worked out how to secure the new washing line so that gravity is no longer a problem. I wouldn’t mind but I’m not even the ‘owl’ to his ‘lark’. The heron in the picture here was just over the bank from our mooring.

We coasted into the Rushden and Diamonds FC moorings to find that the services are still closed as the football club has gone into administration. No, I don’t understand that either. The Doc Martins factory shop is also closed – manufacture moved to China. Onto the lock when Graham’s phone rang. He was listening intently and looking negative. I assumed problems at home and cut the engine so that he could hear better. When it was time to re-start – no go! I went through the drill, No go! Much to my astonishment the engine stop button broke off in my hand. We pulled Jannock from the lock using the rope and lock wall chain and Graham went into the engine bay. The earth wire to the starter solenoid had broken, the problem and I’d just made it so that we could neither stop nor start now. Good thing Graham is an engineer because he held the earth wire to chassis and the engine started.

Oh, the phone call? The Environment Agency were letting us know that the dead fish were due to the weed cutting de-oxygenating water with already low oxygen levels. “One of those things, sadly” We were thanked for our call, the only one about the incident, the officer wondered how many people had seen the situation and done nothing. At Upper Ringstead lock the pollution plot thickened. Graham asked some E.A. weedcutters, taking lunch, if they knew of a chandlery and explained how our stop knob broke. They were most upset at weedcutters being implicated in the Piscicide as they routinely check Oxygen levels before cutting and knew that the small cutter at Whiston Lock to be less of a problem than their huge one. He demonstrated that the Oxygen levels could cope and asked us for our Incident number in order to check out the situation. He suspected sewage pollutants.

We stopped at Thrapston for water and provisions, a useful little town with most things you might need including a vet. Post Office on the river side of town, large Co-op and chippy at top end. Banks etc. are there to. We had to reverse into the Thrapston mooring in order to breast up to a boat already there. Frank and Sheila made us welcome alongside and put up with Graham fixing the starting and stopping mechanisms whilst the water tank filled. When I returned from the shops the beers had been broken out.

At Islip lock a rather tatty cruiser approached as we entered. We waited for them to come in and had to wave them alongside. Their refusal to share was based upon the advice given when they picked up this, their first boat. Never share with a narrowboat, they will crush you. We put them right, they joined Jannock and lived to tell the tale.

We moored for the night at another nature reserve which gave us the view shown below from our outside dining area (the fold down cratch table)

Brenda

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 2

2011-07-10T21:01:00.001Z

Sunday 10th July – Washlands to Ditchford

Last nights mooring was so peaceful that we felt no need to hurry away. We ate our Krispies watching the waterfowl go about their business. Our first guillotine lock was not as troublesome as expected, Brenda found she could counteract the forward surge as the gate started opening with a little blip of reverse so we gave up using ropes to check our forward movement. At Billing Lock I had to politely insist that some fisherdads and kids remove themselves from the lock landing as we were about to occupy it. There were two teens fishing in the lock who also ceased whilst we passed through. Although there was much huffing and tutting from fisherdads as they packed up so Brenda was waiting for the rude comments to start as she was raring to point out the large E.A. sign their chairs were in front of. The one that said, and even had a cartoon of, “No Fishing”. Those dads’ll wonder why their kids grow up with no respect for authority. As we left the lock we were amused to see a little cruiser approach from below to hold up the teens ‘in-lock’ fishing for another 10 minutes or so. We were even more amused when said cruiser completely trashed their keep-net which they had secured to the lower lock landing. Well they should have complied with E.A. instructions to Ho Ho.

After we’d passed through Cogenhoe lock we noticed a couple of dead pike floating in the weed, and then a few little roach and then literally hundreds of dead fish floating in the river as we approached Whiston lock. We reported this to the E.A. emergency line who rang back and were sending someone out immediately. The dead fish stopped as suddenly as they started. Pollution or de-oxygenation?

It was great to see so many out training for Olympic trudging today; hot weather training. We were joined for the last few locks by another narrowboat who kept having to dive down their weedhatch. Jannock has coped well with no visits down there today. At Upper Wellingborough lock, next to the prison, we came across three families picnicking and fishing in the side stream. Wine, cider and eats had all been supplied by Mr. Tesco, a five minute walk away.

We moored for the night on the left bank after the imposing viaduct , but before the water sports lake. This lake is shown in the wrong place in the Imray guide I purchased yesterday which does not seem very hot on accuracy of cartography. Once the British Olympic banana-boat screaming team had finished their days training it became another quiet spot with only the wildfowl and the occasional dog walker for company.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock does the Nene – Day 1

2011-07-10T08:20:00.001Z

Gayton to Northampton Washlands

We made it to Jannock by 10:30 in spite of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone which meant a long diversion. Once everything was loaded and I’d topped up the diesel tank, Brenda set off solo to move the boat to Gayton Junction whilst I drove the Car to John and Angela’s house at Gayton yard where I had been offered car parking for two weeks. When Jannock arrived Brenda performed a perfect manoeuvre onto the waterpoint right outside the Cheeseborough residence, where we then had a cup of tea in a lovely sunny garden whilst waiting for the water tank to fill.

Having said our farewells we moved down to the marina to purchase an Environment Agency key and a couple of Imray guides as our favourite, Nicholsons, don’t cover this river. Whilst waiting for the office to re-open after lunch we took the opportunity to have our lunch as well before setting off down the seventeen narrow locks of the Northampton Arm to join the Nene. Most of the locks on this flight seem to leak water badly from the bottom gates so even though we met a couple of boats coming up the flight I still had to fill every lock bar two in order to descend. Just after Hardingstone lock we had a grass snake, who was swimming across the canal, decide to try and climb onto Jannock’s rear fender. Not being able to reach, it continued towards the offside bank instead. Jannock’s prop was increasingly impeded by weed. Eventually we had to stop and I pulled a load of weed, some rope and plastic bags off. Progress was slow until we got onto the River Nene proper although we did enjoy the novelty of being able to see the fish swimming in the clear water around the boat and the ability to tell the fisherpersons where to cast for hopeful fishing. In the distance we could see the Express lift tower, previously used for elevator testing and now a Grade 2 listed building.

Once onto the river Nene we picked up speed again. As you enter Northampton you pass this lovely old grain store which has been converted into domestic accommodation now. We continued on through Northampton hoping to find a peaceful mooring for the night.

We finally moored on a pontoon 48 hour mooring, tucked in behind a little island, at Weston Favell. A hasty supper was taken before we went off and circumnavigated the Northampton Washlands flood defences. It’s about a 4km walk during which we invented the Olympic sport of ‘Trudging’. We realise that all school children used to be trained for this sport, but were told it was a ‘nature ramble’. When required the Washlands will hold about 500 million gallons of flood water preventing it from backing up and flooding the surrounding areas. Just beyond our overnight mooring spot is the ‘Northampton Boat and Shed club’ – just go and see! The evening ended with a wonderful firework display across the washlands at about 10:30 – unfortunately only Brenda saw it as I was fast asleep.

Stating the ‘bleedin obvious’ sign day!

The Yellow sign on the small door states

“This is a small space”

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Shady afternoon

2011-06-27T20:39:00.001Z

Sunday 26th June

We need not have worried about any possible disturbance from the adjacent railway line last night. We heard one train pass just after we’d gone to bed and that was it until breakfast time. Talking of which, we were still full after last night’s Indian and so we postponed the ‘full English’ until lunchtime. After a lazy start we set off towards Stowe Hill and Bugbrooke meeting many northbound boats, luckily none in awkward locations. Passing the new(ish) Heyford Fields marina near bridge 34 I noticed that their sign stated “One berth remaining” so it looks as though they are doing OK whilst others are complaining.

Just past Banbury road bridge we found Allan on nb Pengalanty and Toni on nb Snowdrop both moored up enjoying the lovely summer weather. Soon after that we decided to pull over ourselves and share a nice shady tree with the crew of nb Red Red Wine, another ‘ex-Black Prince’ craft. Once the promised full English lunch had been eaten, Brenda spent the afternoon sitting in the shade chatting to RRW’s crew whilst I returned to collect the car from Welton. When I got back to Jannock we tidied and closed up and headed home. A short cruising day but very enjoyable.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Only 6 months to Christmas

2011-06-27T20:20:00.001Z

Saturday 25th June

Plant of the day – Lime trees with their wonderful fragrance.

Wildlife of the day – Bats flying in and out of the aqueduct over the river at Weedon.

We started the day with a visit to the Historic Boat rally at Braunston. The parade of boats seems to get longer and longer each year. The English language needs a new word to describe very, very slow mayhem. Having watched most of the parade attempting to chug past we finally decided to return to the car the long way round. At the bottom lock we warned an emerging time-share crew that they’d be held up and would need to manoeuvre in very close quarters. The response was a very angry “ you pay good money and then you get this! I don’t need holdups and hassle” No appreciation for free entertainment and a colourful spectacle then. They obviously hadn’t realised that the canal system is there to be enjoyed by anyone and much of it’s attraction is provided by it’s users. Should’ve gone to Disney land.

We made our way to Jannock and set off South towards Buckby flight which we shared with a boat that possessed a willing crew of 4. One lad, an Aussie, was a willing worker – steering, locking, holding ropes and even lighting a BBQ on the rear hatch top etc. The remaining 3 crew were willing to let him. To be fair, the other lad on board had a broken ankle but his attempts at steering were impeded by dis-interest and alcohol. The two women were chatting to each other, or into mobiles, for most of the time with lots of drinkies and one attempt to turn a windlass each.

Boats across the cut were ‘de riguer’ today, many new hirers out. I had to rescue a ‘moored’ boat (Dances with Ducks) which was only attached to the bank by it’s cable that connected it to a substantial land based TV aerial. It would seem the mooring rope had been snapped by the effects of passing boats – it wasn’t in the best of condition to start off. Luckily there was a chain dangling from the rear deck that I could use to moor it back up to the piling with.

We moored for the night on the off-side, next to the church at Weedon. We’d like to turn into the Jannock tourist board at this point. We encourage you to visit Weedon from the church end rather than from bridge 24. Go down the steps from the 48 hour mooring and it’s a short walk to a pretty village with it’s history marked by it’s architecture. In the main village you will find a Post Office, supermarket, chemist, green grocers and a couple of pubs – no food served unfortunately as we were looking for a meal. There’s a quilters and patchwork workshop too. Walk on up the hill and there’s a gem, the old ordnance depot, established when Napoleon threatened our security. On the right is an accommodation block reminiscent of Victorian Aldershot. Most of the barracks are gone now. On the left is the main depot through smart grade 2 listed gates with the storage buildings ranked either side of the very visible military branch canal.

We decided to try the Heart of England hotel for a meal but they had a 45 minute wait for food so we went to the Brinjol Indian restaurant next door and had a very tasty meal. Then back to Jannock, via ‘Bat Watch’ alley to sleep it off.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Father’s day on Jannock

2011-06-20T15:13:00.001Z

Simon (No. 1 son) joined us today for the short run through Braunston as we wanted to clear the area before next weeks Historic working boat rally.

We set off from Flecknoe following a Black Prince hireboat who had the misfortune of meeting all on-coming craft on bends or in bridgeholes. One of those was nb Shilling whose steerer announced that they were followers of our blog. Hello, nice to meet you briefly.

On we processed slowly towards Braunston building up quite a log-jam behind due to the amount of traffic going each way. I do hope they do not build any more marinas on this pound as it’s getting very busy at weekends now and being weekenders ourselves for most of the year we cannot avoid having to traverse it on a Saturday or Sunday.

We finally made it to Braunston where we passed Draco and Success, saying a brief hello to Krystina and then moved on towards Bottom Lock we met John (nb Black Pig) for a chat as well. A single boat, Larry, was just entering the lock as we approached and so we shared with him all the way to the top of the flight. Once through bottom lock we found ourselves 6th in the queue for No. 2 and only experienced one other ‘straight in’ lock entry during the rest of the flight and that was the top lock.

Our passage through Braunston tunnel was missing one important ingredient. No, not oncoming boats because we met several of those, on this occasion the tunnel roof was dry. It’s not often you experience that lack of annoying drippy bits. I suspect it was because I had made the effort to rig up Jannock’s mega-torch aimed at the tunnel roof to assist me in avoiding them. Sod’s Law that is!

When we had finally moored up, Simon wanted to find a tree to hang his para-gliding harness onto so that he could adjust the straps to get them comfortable. No suitable trees were to be found and so he installed the gang plank into ‘diving configuration’ (see 2003 GiG day 1) and hung his harness from that. Job done.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Across the summit

2011-06-05T17:54:00.001Z

Saturday 4th June 2011

Flower of the day – the dog rose.

We arrived at Jannock and loaded up on the promise of sunny weather and 24 degrees. What we got instead was a cloudy sky and a very strong head wind. We left Claydon and headed towards the summit only pausing for while to allow a Southbound boat to get through Fenny ‘tunnel’ before we could pass through. We had no other problems all the way across the summit level meeting quite a few boats coming the other way but none of them at those awkward places like Griffins bridge corner. Speaking of there, we notice the old droopy wooden footbridge just before Griffins has been replaced since we last passed this way. The new one is inscribed “Wedding Bridge MMIX” so was obviously put up in 2009.

After passing down through Marston Doles locks we spotted a small bird perched upon a branch, singing it’s heart out, that we definitely could not identify. Luckily we found it in the Birds of Britain book that sits on the shelf in Technocupboard which identified it as a Reed Bunting.

We moored for the night above Adkins lock, immediately opposite nb Harnser and nb Goody Two Shoes (both Cutweb members) where I did an engine oil and filter change as well as spending a few minutes chatting to Peter (off of the latter boat) who was also doing engineeringy things. It the first time I have managed to change the diesel filter on Jannock and not get a hiccup from the engine when it is run afterwards. I must remember the technique I used for the next time.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

And down the other side

2011-06-05T17:30:00.001Z

Sunday 5th June 2011

We only had to turn two locks in the Napton flight on our way down today, all the others had ascending craft as we approached. Once out of the bottom lock I re-filled with water whilst Brenda went and explored the Folly shop. Out towards the junction Brenda had to take pictures of the miniature horses in the field as they were moulting and looked really tatty just like our cat Oscar does.

We get used to seeing craft not displaying a current licence, we get used to boats displaying out of date licences but this was a first for us – a licence that has had the date obliterated, deliberately scratched out so as to be un-readable. They’d only done it on one side so by looking at the one on the other side of the boat we observed it was out of date by two years. Boat reg. number was 4000149 get your act together. Guess what – it’s another BW craft. Rules is rules.

Here is the weather postcast :- the forecast was rubbish! Did we get the promised rain overnight? No. Did we get the sunny intervals? No. The scattered showers? No. (thank goodness). What we got was grey with cold gusty winds that impeded steering in tight situations. One of which was meeting Tony Brooks at a bridgehole on a tight corner. The briefest of chats counted as our 2nd Cutwebbery of the weekend.

Home via Elderflower picking so that Brenda can knock up another batch of Elderflower cordial.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

On through Cropredy

2011-05-21T21:16:00.002Z

Saturday 21st May

During last night’s tour of closed down shops and abandoned pubs imaginatively entitled ‘Banbury’s interesting architecture’ I spotted a Majestic Wine Warehouse just up Castle Street from the Quay. This morning, having fitted the new shorter gear change cable, I took Jannock’s folding sack truck and restocked with four cases of beer whilst Brenda shopped successfully for some new jeans – weeks of endeavour now over ;^). She also went to photograph some of the buildings for the log and was asked what her interest was in the old Co-op building was. The enquiries were from an Australian couple who’d been photographing it earlier having discovered that her ancestor had founded the Banbury Co-op Soc. She’d been told of antecedents in the town and had been to the library to research it. They were overjoyed to identify the relative and find the Co-op and his home only a couple of streets away from each other. They’d also been entranced by Tooleys Yard and asked why on earth a large development had been built around it. Brenda explained it’s history, significance and listed building status as well as trying to explain the effort that went in to preserving it.

Once she’d returned to the boat we set off North, along a bit of canal that we haven’t travelled since we left our Cropredy mooring in 2005. It was interesting to notice the changes since our last visit. A lot of bank protection has been completed but unfortunately the keepers cottage at Bourton lock is now empty and someone’s had the slates off of the extension roof. Shame but a notice on the door says that it has been bought by local boaters so I hope they manage to do something with it. On through Cropredy and only one boat still moored at Old Mill who was there when we were, everyone else must have moved on as we did.

As Jannock ascended through Claydon bottom lock I noticed a grass snake swimming in the canal just above the top gate and managed to get a picture on my phone before it hurried of under the trees on the off-side.

We decided to moor up on the summit, the first place we tried found Jannock pivoting on an underwater obstacle meaning I could get either the bow or stern against the bank but not both. We moved on 200m and found another spot where she fitted nicely against the bank. I then returned to Twyford Wharf on the Di Blasi to fetch the car whilst Brenda tidied up and prepared for home.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

We move INTO town for a quieter mooring!

2011-05-21T20:51:00.002Z

Friday 20th May

We arrived at Jannock and loaded our stuff on board. I then proceeded to remove and refit the front and rear most windows on the starboard side as they both leak water when it rains.Having replaced one on the other side last week, I thought they both needed re-sealing. I installed them back into the boat using ‘window tape’, a kind of thick double sided tape that is sold by Bottom Lock chandlery at Braunston. I then sealed the edges using clear silicon sealant to provide an extra layer of protection.

Once my task was completed, we decided that the ambient noise from the M40 was too much so we headed North into Banbury. We stopped at Banbury services for a water fill and then proceeded up through the lock to find a mooring space. The usual collection of down and outs was assembled by the lock and one of them closed the towpath side bottom gate for me. He then moved up to the top gate and sat on the end of the balance beam while I worked the paddles. It was only when the gate needed opening that I joined him there and got my first whiff – WOW that was the worst smell I’ve ever smelled and I’ve changed a nappy on a newborn. I left as soon as I could to attend to the lift bridge and to prevent me throwing up.

We moored for the night almost below the road bridge at the end of Castle Quay. During the evening Brenda wanted to explore Banbury’s architecture and so I was dragged along for the exercise. The photo on the left shows the wonderful brickwork that now houses a restaurant. I wonder what it originally was? I did manage to persuade her that the inside of Weatherspoons was definitely worth an inspection and so it proved to be, they had an excellent ale called MarshMellow brewed by the Oxfordshire brewery at Marsh Gibbon. We returned to Jannock and had a very peaceful night.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A short day with Gladys

2011-05-17T20:06:00.001Z

Sunday 15th May

The weather looked reasonable and so we persuaded Gladys, our neighbour who normally feeds our cat whilst we are away boating, to come out for a day trip. As we were preparing to set off from Aynho another northbound boat passed us so I didn’t hurry with my task of casting off. Finally on the move we found him just entering Aynho Wier lock as we arrived and so he allowed us to share this diamond shaped lock with him. Once through he went out first, and Jannock followed leaving the lock open for two southbound boats. I walked ahead of the boats to prepare Nell Bridge lock . Although he claimed to have owned his boat for 20 years, this single handed man did not exhibit a high level of boat handling skill and took a long while to get his boat into the lock. Never mind, as they say in football, “in off both posts is still a goal”. I worked him up, then assisted another boat down before working Jannock up through the lock as well.

By this time the wind was getting up and the sky was overcast and exhibiting all the signs of raining soon. Around under the M40 and the light spots of rain started. At Kings Sutton lock we caught up the boat in front again and I worked him through again. This time I turned the lock for Jannock as there was no southbound traffic. Once through the lock, with the rain going from light spots to a drizzle, we stopped for lunch and later decided to call it a day and moor Jannock up for the night where we were.

Once I had fetched the car from Aynho, we drove into Banbury to visit Tesco where Gladys purchased a flat screen digital TV ready for the switchover which we’ll get in September. Then home to a hot meal that had been slow cooked on a timer while we were out.

It was a brief enjoyable day spoilt only by the combination of cold wind and drizzle that made it feel worse than it really was.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Maintenance Day

2011-05-17T19:43:00.001Z

Saturday 14th May

As Jannock was moored at Aynho where the towpath is on the Port side (heading North) and I had a replacement window to install I set off from home loaded with stuff to do maintenance.

I reversed back from the 14 day moorings to the wharf where I filled the diesel tank. 160 litres replaced the air, priced at £0.89p domestic and £1.40p for propulsion. Walker Services allow you to self declare whatever rate you want here. I decided to do a ‘post Soddit’ pumpout as well. They have a small trailer, fitted to the back of a mini tractor, with a 45 gallon tank and an electric pump. When the tank is full it is driven to the workshop where it is emptied into the septic tank. I am amazed that they actually offer pumpouts considering they’re not on mains drainage. That would explain the above average price of £18.oop but at least they did both halves of Jannock’s split tank without quibbling that it requires double payment like some yards do. Several trips to empty the trailer later and both sides were declared empty.

I had hoped that one of the boats moored on the 48hr mooring opposite the wharf would have departed by now as it would be a better place to fit the replacement window, but no luck there so back onto the 14 day mooring with the dodgy, un-piled bank. Once the screws were removed I used a paint scraper to loosen the mastic sealing the window frame to the cabin side and the window unit came away quite easily. This surprised me as when she was repainted in 2004 the painters asked to leave the windows on as they tried, and could not remove, the lounge one. Maybe it’s the technique I used. Any way, I cleared up the surround and then offered up the replacement. It is slightly smaller but not enough to make a difference – apart from only having two original holes that lined up. This meant I needed 18 new fixing holes drilled through the steel cabin side. My battery drill gave up during the creation of the third hole and so I walked back to the wharf where I managed to borrow a mains electric drill for an hour as long as I put a donation into the charity box. What excellent service Walker Services provide!

The replacement window fitted a treat and all that was left was to clean up the mess on the inside window frame. Luckily I had left the secondary double glazing panel on inside the frame and so the magnetic strip on that caught all the metal swarf from the drilling. The rest was swept up and I then returned the drill and headed home feeling good.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Soddit on the Oxford

2011-05-11T19:31:00.001Z

Friday evening we arrived at Jannock carrying fish and chips collected from Smarts in Kidlington. We ate these and then loaded all our stuff onto the boat. I then parked that up before we started playing Soddit. We managed 4 games before calling it a night and retiring to the sound of heavy rain beating on the metal roof.

Brian got a nasty surprise at 08:00 as my phone, located at the rear of the boat, was still connected to the bluetooth handsfree kit in the lounge and he got a very loud wake-up ‘alls well’ text from the alarm system. A lazy start as it was still trying to rain but we were moving by 10am, up through the lift bridge and onto Thrupp Wharf for a water fill. Kate Saffin was moored next to the wharf and I also met Maffi for the first time as he came a calling on her whilst we were there.

I always thought ‘micro-fish’ was a method of storing printed matter until I saw Ian’s first catch of the day. We stopped just North of Enslow wharf for a spot of lunch and fishing.

<Ian> The resulting catch here was two (too?) small Perch. Much of this trip the canal and River Cherwell followed the same route. The river looked a much better option for fishing but being ‘out of season’ meant it was not allowed. </Ian>

On test from the Vale Brewery for this cruise was my firm favourite, Vale Pale Ale, and also their May monthly special ‘Brill Steam’. We managed to make quite a large hole in the stock during Friday evening and Saturday. We moored for the night just above Lower Heyford on the well kept visitor moorings there. A very nice peaceful setting for a slow roast beef dinner and more Soddit.

We had a lot more heavy rain during Saturday night but it cleared for Sunday morning. After breakfast we set off North and at Allens lock I put Jannock’s bows onto the lock landing to drop of the crew and then selected reverse to get back into the centre of the cut ready for the lock gate to open. I heard a metallic twang and discovered that the gearbox was now permanently in reverse due to the gear cable not functioning. I opened up the engine covers and stepped down onto the engine bearers from where I operated the gearbox by the selector arm and managed to steer back onto the lock landing again. We let another Northbound boat have the prepared lock, complete with willing crew to operate it, while I dismantled the Morse lever and re-fitted the gear selector cable to the operating lever. It was all done by the time the lock had been turned again and we continued on our way with only a 5-10 minute delay. Above Allens lock we past nb Virgo with Guy and Connie on board. They obviously noticed the name or Cutweb logo on the bows as they came rushing out for a chat. Shame I missed JPs birthday do at Napton last night ;^)

At Somerton deep lock, there was plenty of water leaking past the top gate and so I tried to hold Jannock back against the bottom gate to keep the front well dry. The eager crew of two Southbound dayboats whacked both paddles straight up so I didn’t stand a chance of keeping her there. A short whitewater ride later and the front fender was firmly planted against the top gate – thanks guys! We stopped for lunch, and another session of ‘non contact’ fishing, just above that lock where Ian prepared “I can’t believe it’s not Duck” to eat. After lunch, with a steadily increasing wind, we continued on until we reached our destination for the trip. I then fought that wind doing a car fetch on the Di Blasi.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

If only all weekends were like this one. (re-posted)

2011-05-11T15:12:00.001Z

Saturday 16th April

Wildlife of the day – Woodpeckers

In order to set off from Grove we had to shift Jannock off of the mud as the water level in the pound had dropped quite a lot during the week we’ve been moored here. No wonder Sue on No Problem complained about getting stuck there. We moved a little way to Grove Mill bridge where we tied up and loaded the Di Blasi etc. as the walk to the boat from the car was a bit long. Once loaded we set off an immediately ran aground again above Cassiobury Park top lock when I tried to get off the boat to set the lock – luckily a passer by assisted with the re-floating effort as I couldn’t move her on my own no matter where I tried with the pole. Before Iron Bridge lock I met the aforementioned Sue and hubby Vic on the tow path as they were going for a walk with the dogs and so a very brief hello was said, and Brenda introduced, as we passed.

We stopped at Ricky Tesco for a mega-shop once we had manoeuvred around a new boat owner who was trying to be in control even though he was constantly being attacked by a tiller that was far too long to allow him to use it from the rear deck of his trad. stern boat. As we were untying from Tesco we agreed to pair up with nb ‘the Cat’s Whiskers’ and managed to share with them all the way to Uxbridge. At Coppermill lock we met Dave and Beryl Chapman heading North towards the IWA bash at Northampton. I helped work them through whilst having a good chat with Dave. Once through Coppermill lock I managed to cycle past the bank where Brenda fished our lock-wheeling bike out in 2006 without it wishing to return into t’cut. The flowers on the tree at Black Jacks lock were so nice I had to take a picture of them.

We moored up for the night along the Uxbridge straight having bade farewell to the Cats Whiskers as they continued on to Cowley to view their new mooring.

Sunday 17th April

I was out and on the road at 6:30am to move the car from Grove. Brenda was amused when I reported “I got lost in Southall, I hate traffic lights – they’re a nightmare” on my return nearly 3 hours later.

After breakfast we untied and set off immediately passing a moored narrowboat that has been done up to resemble a galleon (see picture). We met the Cats Whiskers heading back North again who reported that their prospective new mooring was good and so they would be moving to Cowley marina. The rest of the day was relatively un-eventful passing down through Cowley, then Bulls Bridge and onto the Hanwell flight. There was a BW widebeam workboat loosely tethered with the regulation length of baler twine immediately below lock 95 which blocked off half of the lock entrance so I’m glad we were in a narrowboat. Any widebeam trying to exit that lock would have to go and rein it in a bit first. Brenda was wondering what the ‘secure’ unit was alongside lock 95 but we have since learnt that it is St. Bernards Hospital. We finally moored up above a rotting collection of autumn leaves which made the canal surface bubble with a horrible smell as we moved in over the top of it all. – loverly ;^)

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

In praise of Black Prince Holidays

2011-05-10T20:11:00.002Z

As many may know, we purchased Jannock (nee Powys) direct from the fleet of Black Prince in 2000. One of the things that helped sell the boat to us was the promise of a years warranty (unusual on a second hand boat) which proved valid when they supplied us with a brand new starter motor when our old one failed at Bradford on Avon on the K&A in 2001. John Lucas (General Manager) prides himself with the support he provides to his ‘owners club’. In the past we have experienced this by obtaining new replacement mattresses for the single beds from him at cost price, over £60 per mattress cheaper than the best quote we had obtained from alternate suppliers. When I needed a quarter of a sheet of 19mm Hexaboard to replace the front seat they sold it to me for less than a quarter of the price I could have purchased a full sheet for. Last year we were given one weeks free secure mooring at Stoke Prior as we were travelling down to Worcester.

Jannock’s recently broken window (see Friday, April 22, 2011) is the latest example of service above and beyond expectation. I rang them to try and identify the manufacturer of said window so that I could find out how to replace the broken pane. I was told it was made by ChannelGlaze and that they still had some in stock at Stoke Prior. If I would like to go there and identify the correct size I could have a complete replacement window ready glazed. I visited and found the stock they had was the right size and when I asked how much they wanted for it, I was told ‘nothing – take it away’. I couldn’t do that so I gave them a contribution towards their Christmas party or whatever as I was so pleased to pick up a spare for an obsolete item.

So Hats Off to John Lucas and his team at Black Prince for yet another wonderful example of customer service.

Graham – a very happy ex-Black Prince boat owner

www.jannock.org.uk

Thar she blows

2011-05-02T19:42:00.001Z

I thought it was hard work last night mooring up Jannock with a strong wind trying to blow her out into the centre of the river at the same time. Eventually I had her firmly connected to terrafirma using four mooring ropes, two to long stakes and two to corkscrew type screw in eyes. Last night’s strong wind had increased this morning which made the process of untying more of a logical puzzle. I left the centre line connected and removed all the others but still needed Brenda to anchor one of the stern lines to keep the back end in near the bank. I then wrapped the centre line around me while I unscrewed the mooring eye from the ground. This meant that both of us were on the bank, being anchors, and the wind was trying to move Jannock out into the river. Eventually I got Brenda to get aboard and then I ran and jumped on board carrying the centre line with me. I just made it – phew.

The wind was so strong as we made our way towards Dukes cut that Brenda needed a fleece winter hat on as she got earache without it. Up through the stop lock and things were getting a bit more manageable now. The crew of a southbound boat coming down through Dukes Lock were complaining about the effect of the strong wind on their boat. I pointed out to them that they aint seen nuffink yet and things were going to get a lot worse once they got out on the Thames. We experienced a couple of dodgy moments when we slowed to pass moored boats and found ourselves being blown onto them by the crosswind. No pictures today as were far too busy trying to stay mid channel ;^)

We found a suitable mooring for the week and tied up, Brenda created a great lunch from what was left in the fridge and then I was off to Wallingford on the Di Blasi to fetch the car. The wind now became very useful as I covered the 25 miles back to the car in under one hour – the Di Blasi normally averages about 20mph due to the effect of hills but the tail wind sorted that out today. I even had 38MPH on the clock at one point on the Oxford bypass which is definitely a first, never been above 35 before.

On my return we finished packing and putting away and then set off home. It has been a glorious 12 days and we did not have one drop of rain fall on us even though we watched several thunderstorms pass by one evening last week.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Day eleven on the big Jannock boooat!

2011-05-01T19:19:00.003Z

Quote of the day :- 4 hoorays oboard a wannabe gin-palace "The Basingstoke canal is, like, lock heaven, Yah?" Yeah right, the Basingstoke canal is, like, mostly closed - so there!

As ever, Abingdon lock was hassle, but the lockie was letting boats ascend with room for one or two more of those left waiting and also opening the bottom paddles before all craft had exited at the top making it difficult for some to leave.
We entered the lock and tied up to watch the confusion that was an Anglo Welsh crew come into the lock. They seemed to think that as long as their bows were in then someone (anyone) else would complete the manoeuvre and tie up for them. We suggested to the lockie that if they came forward then the small boat behind them could also get in. Well, he thought about it and decided it was a very good idea. We thought it bleedin obvious. Then he decided to try and get another cruiser in as well. We could see it was too wide to fit but he had to try, and then pull it back out again after attempting to crush it's stern with the gates. The Anglo Welsh crew then started to have a row, based on domestic inadequacies, as to who would hold their front rope in the lock. We finally ascended and exited to try and access the water point which was now full of craft waiting to lock down. We finally moved across onto it and were approached by the crew of a southbound cruiser wanting the hose as they'd not been able to get any water out of the hose at the pumpout station. Brenda pointed out that it was a sewage disposal point. "yes, but we can't get any water out of it" was the puzzled retort. What fun?
We met the A.W. crew again at Sandford lock. It was self service now as the lockie was at lunch. They entered the lock and we followed on Jannock. I suggested that Brenda played lockie, she declined stating that there were 6 of them - except all 6 were now back on the boat. One of them then realised the situation and went lockside but only to take the ropes - he tried to do one at each end at the same time. Then he realised that he'd have to operate the lock as well and then wondered why nothing on the control panel worked. He even tried turning the wheel but to no avail. I suggested he closed the bottom paddles which he did and went up to the top end of the lock and started flirting outrageously with a couple of girls whilst getting 25p off his girlfriend, aboard the boat, to buy a cigarette from them. He told the girls that he was "having to do it all because the lock keepers didn't work Sundays". Brenda was not having that so she told them that it was only due to lunchbreak that the lockie was not there. He then continued to inform the girls that his hireboat had a bed and a 'banging sound system' Yeah really? We left the lock with me explaining to him that he needed to close the gates and paddles, as no-one was waiting, and suggested that his boat pull over onto the lock landing to pick him up. Personally we would have just left him behind. A Darwin Award could be in the post.
Do the maths - We saw them again today, moored just below the Head of the River, at 15:00. They aint gonna make it back to Guildford in time!
Port Meadow in a strong wind is a phenomenon of nature no boater needs. The lockie at Godstow was great, using our barge pole to try and prise boats off of the lock landing and into the shelter of the lock.
We continued up through Kings Lock and on towards Eynsham until we found somewhere suitable to turn, and tie up against the wind ready, for an attack on the Southern Oxford tomorrow.
Graham
www.jannock.org.uk

Yet another mini-GiG

2011-04-30T20:13:00.001Z

Tree of the day :- The Horse Chestnut, they are in full flower and are glorious this year.

We left Beale Park and headed towards Goring in a pleasantly sunny morning. Brenda appeared on the rear deck in time to pass her favourite house, just south of Goring.

Do the maths – we got talking to a 3 person crew who’d hired from Guildford a week ago. They said their intent was to get to Oxford and then return to Guildford in two weeks. As they were still short of their target they realised that early starts were now a necessity and had started out before the locks went from manual to electric – hard work before 7am. Then they were faffing about, trying to moor up, near the river Thame at 1pm in order to take luncheon. I suspect that they wont make it.

Once through Cleve lock Brenda took over to enjoy the lovely scenery, albeit familiar as we are now so close to home, and the super blue skies. Graham undertook to clean all of the windows, both layers inside and out, during this long pound – my hero!

We met up with Andy and Jan Greener aboard nb Whisper and spent a couple of hours in the garden of the Plough at Long Wittenham. Beware the landing stage at the back of that pub, the wood is getting quite rotten and dangerous in places. That said we got out the chairs, Andy found some splendid cheese, Brenda organised tea and some cake that needed eating up and we sat until the sun was called in for it’s supper.

Before we had finished we were joined by a superb little electric slipper launch who moored behind Jannock whilst they visited the pub. We bade our farewells and moved off, Clifton Hampden for us ready for Clifton lock in the morning.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

We never saw the fly-past

2011-04-29T18:13:00.001Z

I was up and out by 6am to move the car from Datchet to Wallingford. Back by 8:20 and ready for breakfast. We bade farewell to Terry who set off downriver en-route to London and then cast ourselves off from the pontoon for our trip upstream. Henley straight was just that, very straight (and cold). Parakeets above Henley, whatever next!

We crept up on the lockie at Shiplake and found him listening to ‘the wedding’ on a radio in his hut with the door shut. Sonning lock was the first to show any form of decoration for the day and that consisted of an edifice resembling the Queen sat in the lock cottage garden as well as loads of bunting and flags.

We thought we heard some of the flypast aircraft overhead but the clouds were so low we could not see anything.

At Caversham lock we could see and hear the Reading beer festival going on in the field next door, we considered mooring up and going there until we saw how far the queue for entry stretched. We would have had to queue for hours.

A few boats had bunting and balloons out, some even displaying the union flag! but for the most part it passed us by.

We did meet a boatload of Vikings who were using the occasion as a diversion to invade the country – longboat, NO it’s a narrowboat you fools.

We hope the royal wedding went off well; no family punch ups, no corgis being sick after wedding cake and prawn vol- au-vents. We celebrated with escalope of pork in honey and mustard with a reduction of roast duck jus, followed by a lemon and white chocolate curl pavlova all washed down with strawberry cider after we had moored up at Beale Park.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Finding a missing boat

2011-04-29T17:43:00.004Z

Thursday 28th April

Brrr – needed coats today. The tourist weather must be gearing up for the Royal Wedding no doubt – well, one should always wear gloves to a formal do.

First lock of the day was Bray where a visitor by car was asking the lockie if he’d seen a missing, presumed stolen, day boat. As we left the lock we spotted the missing boat , secured to the channel marker in the middle of the river at the end of the lock reach. We phoned Bray lock and told him where it was so he could let the hire-base know.

On through Maidenhead admiring more houses that we could not afford to own and then up through Bolters lock onto a very cold and wind-blown Cliveden deep. At Cookham lock we filled with water and then moored up after the bridge in order to meet up with Julian and Caro for an excellent lunch at the Crown. We said farewell and “get well soon” to J & C and then paid a visit to the Stanley Spencer Gallery. All this year they are showing his Shipbuilding on the Clyde series, painted by commission during his time as a War Artist. They are wonderful pieces, on loan from the Imperial War Museum, reproductions don’t do them justice.

We continued, in better weather, on through Marlow and Hurley (where we spotted these two boats going downriver) to Aston where we found Terry on Arun moored stern in against the upstream side of the Flowerpot pontoon. We slipped in on the downstream side and moored alongside him so that both boats had their bows pointing out into midstream.

We thought we’d seen and heard the last of the Parakeets as we moored up, being so far away from Shepperton. Oh No! Just as Brenda uttered her opinion on the subject five of the little blighters wheeled overhead screeching away as they went to roost. I wont mention what she said then!

Terry and I fitted navigation warning lights to the boat bows and then went up the Flowerpot for an evening leaving Brenda back on the boat. Whilst there I purchased a take-out of strawberry cider for her.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Staines to Windsor

2011-04-27T19:26:00.002Z

Today we have mostly been looking at houses that we cannot afford, even though some of them are for sale.

Quote of the day “ I do not shout at my customers, I shout TO them !” – Old Windsor Lock keeper.

A leisurely start found me witnessing a southbound hire cruiser having a head on collision with an un-attended moored boat on the offside, opposite Jannock’s overnight mooring. As the hirecraft just left the scene I recorded all of the details and then asked the keeper at Penton Hook what I should do. He took the information and phone Kris Cruisers as he recognised the name and could confirm it had passed through the lock just before the incident happened.

We continued on and then moored in Staines so that I could do a car shuffle from Hanwell whilst Brenda re-provisioned after our busy weekend.

At Bell Weir lock a very large and expensive gin palace pulled in along side us. The skipper pointed down at Jannock and said jokingly to his crew “ we’re OK because there is a really large fender here”. Brenda replied from the front well deck with “ are you calling me fat?” which really made him think that he had un-intentionally offended her ;^)

The pound above Old Windsor lock contained a floating hazard :- a small hire dayboat with 3 males aboard that was completely un-predictable. They went fast and then they went slow and then they went around and around a lot. All with no regard for any other craft in the area. We were glad when they pulled into the afore-mentioned Kris Cruisers to return the craft.

We passed through Windsor and then Boveney lock and moored up for the night immediately above it in ‘plane spotters heaven’ below the approach path to Heathrow – now where’s my notepad and pencil?

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

and back to the Thames

2011-04-26T20:08:00.001Z

Aaaaaargh! Shiver me timbers, and other nautical pish pash. What happened to the weather? Back to British summer-winter time today.

A cooked breakfast was in order as the wind was so cold when we surfaced, so :-

Recipe of the day – Eggy bread made with left over hot-cross bun bread, delicious.

We left Send church bridge, which was a wonderfully quiet mooring away from the A3, and made our way back through Send and Pyrford back towards Weybridge. Note to self :- the towpath bank between Dodds footbridge and Pyrford marina looks like a good ‘first day’ mooring unlike the shallow section we chose above Cox’s Mill last Friday.

Quote of the day – “ If I see another pun on the word ‘Wey’ I’m gonna throw up “ Thanks Brenda ;^)

As we approached Cox’s Mill there was a small girl cycling along the towpath, with her Grandma following, who hit a pothole and took a dive into the river. We stopped and Graham helped recover lass and bike, supplied a towel to dry her off a bit and gave a very upset Grandma advice about getting her home to a hot bath and to watch out for tummy upsets. So if your small child is cycling near water then a lifejacket is as much use as a cycle helmet! Neither is just daft.

Hold up of the day – Thames lock was out of action for an hour whilst they tried to repair a paddle that had dropped off the bottom gate. Having reported the cycling incident to the lockie, it seemed that a crew was en-route to fill the potholes in the towpath before we had even left Thames lock.

We finally said goodbye to the River Wey and arrived at Shepperton lock to find Steve Haywood (renowned author of this parish) just leaving the lock on board nb Justice, on his way to the Cavalcade event at Little Venice. We passed through and treated ourselves to an ice cream from the kiosk whilst doing so as the sun had come out now.

We moored for the night in a too short spot at Laleham, near the Abbey, by tying the stern to a convenient tree. After a dinner of ‘slow cooked duck’ we went for an evening constitutional around Abbey Park and Laleham

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Godalming or De Ja Veue?

2011-04-25T20:24:00.001Z

Question of the day – Brenda to steerer of a hireboat sharing the lock with us :- “Where are you intending to pick up your crew? “ Answer – Oh no, we’re going home today so I won’t need a crew!

With Jo, Adam and Alex as crew we repeated yesterdays Family Familiarisation cruise. The weather was equally wonderful but the day was much improved by there being fewer rowists with a death wish out and about. The chap who was projectile peeing off the back of a rowboat, in full view of the world and his wife, got frit to death by a blast of Jannock’s klaxon and hastily scuttled ashore to complete the task behind a tree. Alex and Adam got very handy as lock crew and Alex enjoyed learning to steer. Some passengers on the widebeam Guildford tripboat were impressed to see him at our tiller. Jo remembers these waters from boat trips with her family as a child and was able to tell us a lot about the area which was very interesting.

We dropped the crew off at Dapdune wharf and thanked the National Trust staff for their hospitality and then headed down river to a quiet mooring near Send church bridge.

We were very pleased to see narrowboat hirers being given very clear and comprehensive training in two locks we shared today. Well done Farncombe and Guildford Boat Houses.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Maritime mayhem

2011-04-24T20:48:00.001Z

Sound of the day – church and cathedral bells.

Our guest crew, Wally, Peg, Uncle Jim, Heather, Frank and Phoebe the dog arrived before the National Trust had unlocked the wharf and so I ended up doing gate duty for our guests as well as the crew and passengers of the Surrey County Council community boat. Jannock set off southbound, through Millmead lock and into maritime mayhem. Skiffs, rowing boats and punts akimbo filled the river out past Guildford rowing club. It was here that a rowing coach, concerned about his charge who was out in a single skiff, told Brenda to slow down. She replied “ but I am in neutral” . “I know” he replied adding “ but slow down anyway”. We continued down the Godalming navigation, through St. Catherine's lock and into Unstead lock where a tiny boat, powered by an electric outboard, and containing four adults and a small child insisted on sharing the lock with us. This combination of 62’ narrowboat and 6’ rowboat made operating the paddles very difficult so as to keep them safe. Brenda expressed her concern that the toddler did not have a life jacket on, to which Grandma stated that she was holding on tight to the child. Brenda couldn’t help herself at this point and commented that if Grandma fell in then the child was sure to go in with her in that case. As we exited this lock, Terry on Arun arrived to go down on his return journey to the Thames.

We winded at Godalming wharf, having failed at Farncombe boathouse due to getting stuck on a large underwater obstruction, and then tied up for lunch at the wharf. The steak and kidney that Brenda had prepared in the slow cooker during yesterdays journey was excellent and enjoyed by all. We watched the horse drawn trip boat depart and then met it at Cattershall lock on our return journey.

Our return trip included a very near miss with an out-of-control daytrip boat on which the steerer kept pushing the tiller the wrong way and Graham putting Jannock’s bows into the foliage, much to the disgust of the front well passengers, on a very sharp bend. We returned our guests to Dapdune wharf and then tidied up the boat ready for tomorrow’s repeat trip with another guest crew.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

And on to Guildford.

2011-04-23T21:54:00.002Z

Silly answer of the day :- Did you have far to walk for your meal? No, we had a reservation!

After a very peaceful night we were up, breakfasted and ready to go at 10am. Luckily so was Terry on Arun and so we set off up through New Haw lock and past the junction with the Basingstoke canal. Now Jannock was once again travelling on new waters. We shared locks with Arun until Triggs lock where there was a single boat entering as we arrived and so Terry went in with him and we followed on sharing the next one with nb Thumper.. At Bowers lock we rejoined Arun again because we let Thumper go in first and share with Terry’s previous partner. We finally moored at Dapdune wharf for the night and Terry joined Brenda’s brother Gary and his partner Carol for an evening meal aboard Jannock. As I was opening the gate for Carol and Gary to leave, the crew of another boat that is overnighting here were returning from an evening out and the question answer session quoted above occurred during the walk back down the drive.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

We called in at the Palace

2011-04-23T08:01:00.001Z

Quote of the day :- Sod Kate Humble, I’m doing Parakeet watch.

Terry on Arun joined us last night at Kingston and so this morning Jannock set off for Hampton Court Palace while he did some shopping in Kingston. We then travelled up through Molesey and Sunbury locks and met up with him again at Thames lock on the Wey at 2pm. Brenda had been watching Parakeets coming and going from their nest hole in a tree, from her bed, this morning and so was pleased to see a couple overhead still. Once through Thames lock and £63 less well off we continued on through Town and Cox’s locks above which we planned to stop. It was a very hot day so we were pleased to moor in the shade, albeit a little shallow, for the late afternoon and evening.

Our evening took on the format of a B-B-Q, fuelled by beer and red wine whilst the passing towpath users looked on in envy (or amazement, who can tell ;^) Brenda concluded the evening with a one person illuminated frog hunt.

Julian rang to tell us that Parglena’s planned visit to the Wey has been called off :^( After doing battle with a broken swingbridge at Winkwell, three locks later Caro slipped down some steps and has broken her foot. Get well soon Caro – another one spending the bank holiday weekend plastered!

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Long Eastmas break – Day 1

2011-04-22T07:47:00.001Z

Quote of the day – I’d prefer to see an in-date license?

We started at 2pm today and had Soddit Brian as an extra crew member because he wanted to come down through Brentford with us. As we were sorting out Jannock, ready to set off, a southbound Wyvern hire boat came past so I asked the steerer whether we could share the locks down to Brentford as we were just setting off. We took a while, stirring up a lot of unpleasant smells, extracting ourselves from the methane mine and then arrived at Osterley lock to find them just leaving and to experience the weirdest rain ever.

We filled with water above the gauging locks and then moved down to Thames lock with 10 minutes to go before our allotted 4pm time. At 3:55 the lockie arrived and the first two boats descended onto the Thames. We followed on the second locking and the lockie asked to see Jannock’s license. I pointed to the front window only to notice that it had shattered and was just a mass of crazed toughened safety glass which would explain why he couldn’t see the license. I jumped down in through the front door and extracted a license disk to show him. His response was “I’d prefer to see an in-date license” – I had only presented him with last years one instead of the current one which was languishing in the recently vacated mooring disk holder below – Ooooops"!

We left the Grand Union and turned right to head upstream, immediately running into quite deep waves caused by a mix of tide race and downstream traffic which was a bit bouncy for the first 10 minutes. On up through Richmond weir and onto Teddington lock where we waited for while due to the lockie having to issue a temporary licence to the Wyvern hire-boat.

Brian was un-ceremoniously deposited on the bankside just before Kingston railway bridge so that he could find his way back to Thame whilst we continued up through both bridges and moored up on free 24 hour moorings on the starboard bank just above the road bridge. The next hour was spent washing the roof and starboard side of Jannock to remove the grubby deposits that had accumulated over the last couple of weeks. Terry Streeter (nb Arun) rang to enquire where we were moored as he was about to leave Brentford and so we greeted his arrival at 20:30 in the dark.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Dinosaur near Kings Langley

2011-04-10T10:09:00.001Z

Bird of the day :- Majestic Herons

Not quite Jannock's first trip of the year, as she was turned round a couple of times for maintenance purposes, but a great way for me to spend my birthday doing what I love best.

We bade a cheery farewell to our boaty neighbours and immediately went into a lock share all the way down to Boxmoor where the other boat was stopping. Then on in absolutely splendid weather, a high summer day in April (when I remember this day 25 years ago - snowdrifts and a week of fog or even 3 years ago with cold and snow it's hard to believe how different one month can be)

At Apsley locks three boats were moored, two abreast, on the lock moorings - section 8 notices a-flutter - that made visibility and manoeuvrability a bit difficult entering the lock . If BW put them there then shame on you!

As we left Red Lion lock we found two canoeists tucked under the bridge by the bottom gate. they did not want to ascend the lock but we having a break whilst hanging onto the concrete bridge side. Jannock had to swing over to take the immediate bend and they were looking peeved as our stern got closer and closer to their canoe. They didn't think to remove their paddles from the water until Brenda shouted at them to do so before they got snapped. They did not seem to understand that they were in a very dangerous place. Lifejackets, helmets - of course not!

Brenda spotted the dinosaur looking over the bank near Kings Langley, I believe, although I never spotted it myself ;^(

At our chosen destination I found it difficult to get the mooring stakes in due to very stony ground and then managed to trip and fall between the bows and the bank , whilst tying up, giving myself a very nasty graze all down my shin. Not the best way to end a birthday cruise because antiseptic gel really stings.

A ten year old bodge

2011-04-10T09:46:00.003Z

On Friday we refilled the water tank, making good some water system faults that had occured during the winter months, and made Jannock habitable again ready for the start of the 2011 trip.

The remote pressure switch didn't switch the pump off at the correct pressure and a seal beneath the tap on the top of the hot water tank popped and started weeping water down onto the bathroom floor. The switch was easy to dismantle and repair and was sorted in about 10 minutes.

During the fault rectification stage I discovered a 'bodge' that must be over 10 years old as it must have been in place when we purchased the boat from Black Prince. The junction between a stop tap and an overflow hose near the hot water tank had been fitted with a new penny wrapped in PTFE tape to stop water leaving the tap into the overflow hose and then the cabin bilge. This was nothing to do with the pressure regulator mounted nearby and I am unable to work out why this particular modification needed to be done.

Red Nose Day - Do something funny for money!

2011-03-21T12:29:00.001Z

Last week I put my change in the Sainsbury's collecting bin every time I

shopped. Today I found I still had a tenner in my purse so thought I'd

donate that too. No more collections in Sainsbury's, so as I was going to the

bank it could get paid in there. I finished my routine banking and then

asked to donate, like they said on the telly. The teller said they had no

Comic Relief slips, and hadn't actually had any at all this year.

Right.......

On to Oxfam. They still have a window full of noserabilia so it's a good

bet, like they said on the telly.

I approached elderly till lady and asked to make a donation to Comic Relief.

'Oh no dear, we only support Red Nose Day.'

'It's the same thing, Red Nose Day is a Comic Relief fundraising event,'

says I.

'It's finished now' she told me.

'I'm sure that they will accept donations now, and you still have their

merchandising on sale.'

'We don't have a donations form for Red Nose day, so you can't give to just

that charity, it will be for Oxfam or DEC. Or you can buy something, but

it's out of date now anyway,' was the reply.

A browsing customer with a huge and silly grin on his face came over to help

me out. His suggestion was a good one, buy a Red Nose and just forget to

take it home. The manageress also turned up at this point and agreed that

was the best plan.

Right, I decided I would buy a nose, and the manageress said I could pay

whatever I liked for it, that'll be a tenner then.

The till lady asked me to choose which nose I'd like and scanned it.

'That's a pound' says she.

I gave her the £10 and said I wanted no change. She asked if the £9 was a

donation to Oxfam. I said 'no, it's for Comic Relief'. She looked confused,

the browsing man's grin got larger and the manageress started to look

harassed and I heard a titter from behind the shelves.

The till lady then told us that if I paid £10 for 1 nose the till would be

wrong at the end of the day, so the manageress suggested I buy 10 noses and

not take them home. Good idea, that's what I'll do. Till lady explained to

manageress that that wasn't a good solution as I didn't want 1 nose let

alone 10, and by time the next Red Nose day came around there would be

different noses anyway so it would have been a waste of money.

Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh!

Manageress and I assured till lady that it would be fine, just scan the nose

another 9 times. Till lady asked me if I'd like to choose a selection rather

than just have the one design. I am losing the will to be charitable by now,

but for pragmatism's sake agreed and gave her 1 of each to scan. Phew.

At that point the manageress decided that the poor till lady's dignity might

just have to be sacrificed and gently moved her away from the till. Mistake!

As she moved aside the wrong button was activated and my bill went from £10

to £1,000. Till lady nearly had the vapours, browsing man was now promoted

to laughing man. He asked where I was going to keep 1000 red noses.

I asked the manageress if Oxfam deliver. Till lady looked at me as if I'd

asked a very silly question. Manageress just smiled serenely and said 'only

in exceptional circumstances'.

It was agreed that since they could not deliver and I couldn't carry 1000

noses home she'd cancel the transaction and we'd just go with the original

10.

I finally got to hand over my £10. I got my receipt, and as I left the shop

I heard a little, elderly voice say' she's forgotten to take her noses' and

some stifled guffawing from laughing man and customer behind shelf.

Sometimes the urge to punch old ladies is very strong. But hey, I did

something funny for money and made at least 3 people laugh. If you didn't

donate yet, do it for me. PLEASE.

Brenda.

One fine day (how wrong can one be?)

2011-02-28T09:43:00.001Z

The weather forecast was promising and so it was decided it was time to turn Jannock round. This was to achieve two objectives:-

1. Get her facing North so I can do a pumpout.

2. Test the recently fitted replacement gearbox before heading of for the summer.

We arrived at the mooring, fitted the replacement gas bottles and were ready to set off just as another southbound boat appeared through the bridge heading for lock 59. We agreed to share with them and partnered them down to Winkwell bottom lock where we winded for the return journey back to the mooring. The run south was good with the gearbox performing as expected although Brenda says the morse control is stiffer that it was previously. That'll be the extra 90 degree bend in the gear cable due the the new location of the actuating lever. On our return through Winkwell swingbridge it amused me to watch two cars, one either end of the open bridgehole, each determined that they would be the first to cross once it closed. The car on the pub side finally had to concede defeat, and back off, as two more cars arrived down the hill and queued before the first car on the other side. Ho hum, it doesn't take much to amuse me.

By this time the drizzle that had started during our run south was now turning into a proper rain session and so we were we drownded by the time we arrived back at the mooring and both required a complete clothes change to get dry.

I am pleased to report that the replacement gearbox is a success, performing correctly during Brenda's turn at Winkwell and with no evidence of any leaking oil on our return.

I'll wait for another day to complete the pumpout, lubricate the gear cable and sort out the starboard side paintwork.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Another year recorded.

2011-01-15T17:58:00.001Z

My January chore is done, I've copied all of the logbook trip information onto new pages on the Jannock website and uploaded them onto the server. As usual I would appreciate notification of any mistakes or broken links that I may have missed.

Here's looking forward to this year's cruising into which I have pencilled in the Wey and the Nene in order to get the most out of my Gold licence that has just arrived.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A Merry Christmas from the Jannock's

2010-12-14T18:51:00.001Z

Brenda and I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy new year so she's created a snowdome card and loaded it onto the Jannock web server - visit http://www.jannock.org.uk/xmas2010.jpg and all will be revealed.

We stayed on the boat last Saturday night so that we could attend the Bourne End Christmas dinner and I could have a drink. The secondary double glazing definitely makes a difference to the warmth within the boat compared to last years non-DG event. Whilst we were there I took the opportunity to refit the gear selector cable to the other end of the arm within the morse lever so she now goes backwards and forwards correctly in response to moving the lever. I then drained the water system and finished winterising the boat ready for this weeks predicted cold spell.

Now it's time to start updating the website again with the info recorded in the logbook and on the blog during the 2010 cruise.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Houston - we have a connection!

2010-12-04T20:34:00.001Z

What is the biggest difference between a PRM 160 gearbox and a Newage Delta 20 gearbox?

The answer is almost four inches. Having installed the replacement gearbox last week I could finally install the missing link today - a nice shiny (expensive) lump of turned steel which connects the Aquadrive to the gearbox.

Here it is installed and working.

I have since discovered yet another difference! I now have to dismantle the Morse lever as it now works in reverse i.e. the propeller moves the boat backwards when the Morse control is shifted into the forwards position. Luckily this should just require the gearbox cable moving to the other end of the arm inside.

Whilst we had a reasonably warm weekend I took the opportunity to empty the hot water tanks as a further cold spell is forecast for the next week and I don't want it to freeze up. I'll complete the winterisation next Sunday after we've attended the Bourne End Christmas dinner on Saturday night.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

What's happening now.

2010-11-21T14:23:00.001Z

Once we had returned to Bourne End I set about investigating the knocking noise coming from the transmission system that we have been experiencing at low revs. It appears to be from the PRM gearbox so I decided to remove it to investigate. I had checked the Aquadrive CVJ and fitted a new drive plate last winter so I was pretty sure it was the gearbox causing the noises. Once I had disconnected the Aquadrive from the back of the box it became apparent that there was a lot of play in the gearbox output shaft bearing. With the box removed the driveplate appeared fine (only fitted last winter) so I lugged the heavy gearbox home and set about finding out what the cost for repair/replacement was going to be. Gulp - Refurbishment approx £800, replacement approx £1300

The following Thursday evening, whilst doing my routine searches on Ebay, I came across a picture of what appeared to be Jannock's engine bay. Lo and behold - someone was selling a complete Kubota engine and PRM gearbox from another ex Black Prince boat because the engine smoked a bit and they had purchased an new Isuzu unit to replace it. I managed to win the auction (well within budget) and with assistance from my mate Don the complete unit was recovered from Newbury back to home. The gearbox fitted to this unit was a Delta 20 which is a lot smaller than the 160 that I had just removed from Jannock but Ken, the previous owner assured me that the gearbox was fine, just the engine had problems. I have fitted it onto Jannock's engine and am now awaiting the 4" bobbin that I need to fill the extra gap between the shorter gearbox and the prop shaft which I have sourced from TW Marine and should be here next week.

In the meantime I have done the figures for the 2010 cruising season:-

Total mileage 518. Total Locks 507. Total hours 277 Fuel used 348 Litres

that works out at 3.7 lock-miles per hour and 1.25 litres per hour.

More news about the gearbox and a test run soon - Watch this space.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

The Ultimate training day

2010-10-25T09:46:00.001Z

There was a frost on the ground when we arrived at Marsworth for the run back to Bourne End and our home mooring. Today we had our neighbours, Mick and Gill, as crew. They have hired a boat for a week next April and wanted a refresher course as it has been 10 years since they last went on a canal holiday. You can't beat 9 miles and 20 locks, up and down, on the southern Grand Union as a refresher! As we were casting off we arranged with a passing boat to share the Marsworth flight with them but then had another boat pass before we were moving and so had to wait for the pair of them to ascend the bottom lock before we could start the flight. When Brenda arrived at the lock with Jannock she said that we had a partner who was busy winding in the entrance of the Aylesbury arm and would be with us in a short while. He was solo crewed and so Mick and I worked both boats up the Marsworth flight of seven locks. Once through the flight our partner was mooring at Bulbourne for a lunch appointment in the GJA so we continued alone.

After the summit, we then paired with another boat that had been watering up as we arrived at Cowroast lock. This couple had moved afloat in May 2010 in a new boat that the skipper has fitted out himself. His partner appeared glum and despite about 5 months of boating was still unsure about how locks worked. We shared all the way until 'the Boat' public house in Berko where they decided to tie up, without warning, after I had prepared Ravens Lane lock for two craft :0( We continued on alone which meant single gate working which is a lot quicker if you are not mob handed. At the 'Riser' we met Debbi and Simon who, having returned from their allotment, were on their way for an early afternoon pint.

Finally arrived back at Bourne End at 4 pm and then went and fetched the car from Marsworth in time for an evening meal before closing up and heading home.

Gill has written " Started our journey at Marsworth taking Jannock home for the winter. Weather cold but very sunny, a lovely day not that I did much work, I was kept busy making coffee and tea and watching everybody else work. Mick helped Graham with the locks for a little while and handled the steering. Needs some more practice, I'm sure it will all come back to us. Graham's just got back from collecting the car and Brenda's getting dinner ready." in the log book.

I will do a calculation of this years lock/mile tally and publish on another posting.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Well Done Milton Keynes IWA

2010-10-17T12:01:00.001Z

Saturday 16th October

Fruit of the day - Damsons

After a grey week our journey started in glorious autumn sunshine. We recalled the weather forecaster saying "you will be unlucky to catch a shower!" We didn't , we caught two downpours instead. This picture, taken on my phone, shows us approaching Grove lock immediately after the second one.

As we cleared Soulbury we were warned by a southbound boater of canoeists and a canal clearance day ahead, forecasting slow going. We saw none of the former and the latter only delayed us whilst they extricated their work flat off of an underwater obstacle (the 2nd motorcycle frame they had removed that morning) that had entrapped it. Gold stars to the Milton Keynes branch of the IWA and Wyverne shipping who sponsored the event.

The first and second teams we met are pictured below:-

We caught the third team up at Linslade lock where we shared with one of their craft. They were en-route to the Tesco mooring to retrieve trolleys using a grappling hook.

At Slapton Lock cottage there was a bowl of Damsons with a notice asking for donations to charity for them. I took a bagfull and placed all my change in the box. We picked up a lock sharer at Horton lock, a northbound boat that had winded at Slapton windy hole, who we shared with until they reached their home mooring at Vicarage farm. We knew there was a hire boat following them so we waited at Seabrook bottom lock for them to catch up and I usefully spent the time collecting many more Damsons from the multiple trees located on the offside of the lock. The Wyvern boat, Daffodil, then shared with us until we cleared lock 38 when we moored up and they continued. As I cycled through Pitstone bridge I saw the widebeam trip boat approaching so I stopped and warned Brenda of it's prescence. I still remember the incident she had with this one a few years ago due to the overhanging willow branches but this time the trees have been nicely trimmed back and my timely warning allowed her to hold back to let it reach it's mooring at the yard.

Onward and Southward

2010-10-11T13:24:00.002Z

Saturday 9th October

A late-ish start due to Brenda still recovering from various lurgs and inoculations during the past week found us setting off from Banbury Road bridge at 11 am with a grey overcast sky and occasional drizzle. Not at all what was forecast by our Met office friends. Into Blisworth tunnel at 12:15 and we met three northbound boats within. The middle one of the three had a 'searchlight' like headlight aimed straight ahead along the tunnel. As we approached each other I found that I could not see a thing ahead and the beam was painful to look at so I stopped and waited for him to pass whilst I kept my eyes averted from ahead.Once the lamp had passed me by I made comment to the steerer that he ought to aim his searchlight up towards the roof and not straight ahead. We passed down through Stoke Bruerne solo as there was no one behind us in the tunnel and no boats about to set off from the moorings to go down. Below the flight there is a BW notice that reads " Slow down passed moored boats" - shame they didn't check the spelling before manufacturing the sign. We pulled over near Grafton Regis to harvest some of the abundant Elderberries there - we fancy making some Elderberry whisky this year ;^) On to Cosgrove through greyer and colder weather finally mooring up below the lock just three boats away from nb Wyrd with Trevor aboard. A mini-GiG was in order and a very pleasant evening was spent before we finally gave in at just after midnight.

Sunday 10th October (10-10-10 a very auspicious day if you are Chinese)

I got up and set off in the cold grey gloom just before 9am whilst Brenda languished abed under a warm cosy duvet. Just after midday the sun came out, as we made our way down through Milton Keynes, and the blue skies warmed us body & soul. This was supposed to be what was forecast for yesterday so we've missed out. After Bletchley we were trying to decide on our final mooring place when we were joined in Stoke Hammond lock by a boat crewed by thirty-something liveaboards with a penchant for pirate-noir decor. Whilst locking up, Brenda asked the steerer if they were going up Soulbury locks. His reply was " we don't go that far, we usually moor in Milton Keynes but feel we need a few days out of the city". I walked ahead and measured a suitable gap between the last moored boat and the first fishing peg so Brenda eased Jannock in with very little disturbance to his swim. As the other boat passed us and the fishing match she called back to the steerer from the bows with " Oh no, an effin fishing match - this would have been effin perfect for us" They moved on a few yards and she called again "we'll just moor up here, these blokes look friendly, they effin won't mind". Luckily he didn't feel the need to ruin 2 or 3 blokes days fishing with less than an hour to go until the end of the match. They carried on up the cut with just her swearing being carried on the balmy breeze. Are live-aboards necessarily boaters? Discuss.

Note to Brian and Ian :- the bloke fishing next to Jannock caught 4 lb 1oz of fish and he was no-where near the top of the leader board. There are fish in the G.U.

2010 Soddit Cruise #2

2010-09-27T19:22:00.001Z

Friday 24th Sept.

We travelled to Jannock via the Southam chippie for our supper - excellent. We then loaded our stuff onto the boat, opened the beer and the playing of Soddit commenced. Four games were completed before bedtime accompanied by the sound of rain on the roof of the boat.

Saturday 25th Sept.

A traditional Soddit breckie of bacon sarnies, tea and OJ was followed immediately by the arrival of a diesel boat Towcester. As Jannock was getting low I purchased 170 litres at a cost of £175.00p declaring 60-40. We then set off towards Calcutt where we were 4th in the queue for the bottom lock. We shared through that one but our partner went to join the now single boat waiting in the next lock as their previous partner had moored up. Once into the middle lock we waited to see if one of the boats now coming through the bottom lock would join us but they waved us on ahead so we continued up the flight solo. We then joined a long procession heading for Braunston. There were frequent stops when someone ahead had to wait for an oncoming boat through a bridgehole and we had varying reports of twenty to fifty boats ahead of us in the procession from oncoming crews. We stopped for lunch prepared by Ian and more non-contact fishing just after bridge 99 and watched many more boats pass us. On then to Braunston and a right jam-ole (excuse the pun). Once through the junction, with a quick glance left to see Allsorts moored up, there was a long queue of boats all the way to the marina entrance where a boat was winding. We started moving and then a boat at the water point pulled out in front of us and then winded in the marina entrance as well. Past that and we had to hang around while another boat did a 98 point turn opposite UCC. All this time there had been a Willow Wren hire boat just behind us but when we finally got to the bottom lock they were nowhere to be seen. We waited for a while but the boat waiting to come down persuaded us to continue without them. As we were departing from the lock we were admonished for not waiting for them by a woman off of the 3rd boat in the queue that now existed for the lock. It would appear that she was intent on sharing with her friend so would be putting the hireboat through solo ahead of them. We agreed to wait at the second lock and then shared the rest of the flight with a crew of novice Danes. They were a much better crew by the time we left the top lock. Into Braunston tunnel with Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory and the 633 Sqn theme issuing from Jannock's stereo. After a rousing passage through a remarkably dry tunnel we moored at Welton wharf for the night and were complimented for our choice of music by the Danes as they passed. I prepared a chicken dinner with fresh veg from Brian's garden and then we settled in for 5 games of Soddit before giving up for the evening just after midnight.

Sunday 26th Sept.

I was up and out on the Di Blasi by 6am to do a car shuffle to our destination. On my arrival back at the boat the other two were still asleep so I put the kettle on and made tea. Brian thought that I had just got up to go and move the car - Ha! After breakfast we moved down to Buckby top lock which we passed through solo and then joined another boat, that had been in front of us, for the remaining 6 locks. Between locks 11 and 12 I was asked by a fella on the towpath whether he and the girl he was with could experience going down a lock on a boat as she'd never done one before. I let them onto the front welldeck once I was in the next lock and they descended down with us to the bottom lock where they got off. The whole bottom lock area was swarming with a well mixed collection of foreigners (possibly students) of which the couple I had given a lift to were part. I felt sorry for our lock partner as, typical of performing to an audience, he completely messed up his entrance to the lock. Once we were through the bottom lock we found the same fella winding an ABC hireboat in Wilton marina entrance. It turned out that they had hired two boats for a daytrip for all these studenty types and didn't have time to pass through any locks. Meanwhile the weather remained dry, grey and cloudy but we were sure it would start raining soon. We stopped before Stowehill bridge for lunch and then moved forward onto the water point to fill up once we'd finished eating. As soon as we started off again the rain started too. Light drizzle at first getting heavier and colder in the biting northerly wind. Brian retired inside to keep warm and help finish up the beer whilst Ian and I braved it out on the back deck. After the glorious weather we had yesterday this was a disappointing end to the weekend. On arrival at our destination we soon decamped into the car and headed home. Another wonderful weekend proving that fishing is a non-contact sport aimed purely at teaching maggots to swim. The final Soddit score - Ian won 5 games, Brian and I both won 2 each. I think in future I'll ban this futile fishing lark and try to get more games of Soddit played.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Cutweb Rally 2010

2010-09-20T19:09:00.002Z

On Friday I had a day off work - motorbike 8000 mile service in the morning followed by a run down the Stockton flight to attend the Cutweb Rally held at the Blue Lias Inn. Whilst wandering around Abingdon waiting for my bike to be serviced I noticed No Problem heading Northbound up the Thames so I followed them up to Abingdon lock and introduced myself to Sue whilst they were locking up. I then disgraced myself by calling Vic, Chas - Oooooooooooooooops. Sorry Vic.

We arrived at Jannock just after 2pm and set off down the Stockton flight sharing with another boat which makes a change. Brian and Diana (Harnser) and Nigel from Enseabee came up from the Blue Lias to assist us down the flight. The couple on the other boat were very impressed by our 'staff' As we neared the bottom we learnt that due to low levels of water we had been allocated the 'buffer zone' mooring - i.e. immediately outside the pub an the first mooring after the bridge. The evening was spent in the function making new friends and renewing acquaintances over a few pints.

Saturday started with me having to run the engine a bit for battery charging due to the short trip on Friday. I was interested to find out that the Blue Lias now do electric hook-up for moorers at £3.50p per night. Not cheap but welcomed by some of the Cutweb boats as it meant no engines needed for the duration. Saturday afternoon was filled with Cap'n Beeky's Boules competition which I helped out refereeing when I wasn't playing. Teams were drawn from a hat and I partnered Sarah-May (aka Baddie the Pirate) but we were knocked out in the semi-finals. After tea and cake (in the rain) the evening entertainment was supplied by the Original Backroom Boys who were absolutely brilliant. They did a 2 hour set with an hour break in the middle for food and were then followed by the Cutweb Mega-raffle.

Sunday morning was the Charity auction followed by a roast lunch. Immediately after that several members decided to head off up the Stockton flight so Brenda and I went along to help them up the locks. Brenda appeared back with a large collection of plums that she'd harvested off of a tree that overhung one of the old narrow locks that are now used as by-washes. She had already gathered a large bowl of blackberries from around the fishing lake so she stewed up loads of nice fresh fruit before teatime. Sunday evening entertainment was provided by John and Margaret from nb Ernest (not that one, the other one) who ran a quiz.

Monday morning we were due to set off up the locks at 8:30 sharing with Enseabee as I had promised to run Ann (Enseabee's crew) to Rugby station to catch her train to London. I moved the car up to the wharf at 7:30 and then set a couple of locks whilst I was walking back down the flight. We set off a little early and winded at the arm before entering the bottom lock at 8:15. We breasted Jannock up to Enseabee so that Brenda, Ann and I could work the locks with only Nigel on the boats. We did the flight in about 40 minutes, catching up the boats ahead, as Brian and Diana came to help as well.

A great rally so thanks to Angela, Brian, Andrew and all the other Cutweb members who helped to make the weekend a good one. Shame about the teatime rain on Saturday. Pictures to follow.

Graham

http://jannock.blogspot.com (the website is broken)

Winding in Piccadilly circus

2010-09-13T15:25:00.001Z

We left Hillmorton at 10:30 and set off for Braunston - our mission was to do a self-pumpout and then wind to continue on towards the Blue Lias for next weekends Cutweb rally. We entered Braunston from the north, passing Mike and Krystina moored near the junction and went on to the sani-station. Another boat had just pulled into the sani-stn moorings so we obtained permission to hang offside of a moored boat and await their departure. I was disappointed to see they were only taking on water, there were two empty water points down near the stop house which they could have used for that - never mind, we patiently waited, and had our lunch, whilst they took 45 minutes to fill with water. They finally finished and moved off allowing us to complete a water fill and a self pumpout in 15 minutes max. They must have got an awfully large tank to take that long (although Brenda is convinced they didn't have the tap turned on for the first 20 minutes due to the lack of leakage at their hose connector). On leaving the sani-stn we moved down to the marina entrance and started a protracted winding manoeuvre - delayed several times by passing boats. I finally got Jannock heading North again and we set off for the junction and the route to Napton. The sunken boat and accompanying rescue craft on the Oxford is certainly a navigation hazard, there were 3 boats either way waiting to pass it as we approached. Then onto Lower Shuckburgh where we followed a Viking Afloat boat through the two sharp bends under the A425 narrowly missing on-coming craft by choosing to hit the bank instead. At Wigrams we turned under the bridge onto the Grand Union and proceeded down the Calcut three changing partners after the first. Then onto a 14 day mooring so that I could collect the car from Hillmorton before we headed home. Not a sunny as forecast but not uncomfortable - although Brenda was wearing a jumper and coat to try and keep the cold wind out.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Anybody lost a pair of glasses?

2010-09-06T16:52:00.001Z

Sunday 5th September

Question of the day :- Who has left a pair of glasses on Jannock. Brenda believes they are ladies glasses but I'm not certain. Any claimants?

The weather forecast for the weekend was fine, some patchy cloud and top temperature 22 degrees. Yesterday disappointed. Today started grey and declined to a half hearted cold drizzle just as we approached Rugby - henceforth to be known as Mayhem Corner. There were two instances of boats winding with no regard for or warning to anyone close behind them, a couple of boats continuing to enter bridge-oles they could not possibly exit due to oncoming boats refusing to slow down or give way, a newbie hirer whose response to other boats nearing him was to pull over and put off crew with ropes to hold their boat until the others had passed. Hillmorton locks had more boats in the vicinity than we've seen all summer it seemed - and the turns can be tight at the best of times. Good humour just clung on by it's finger nails. The 14 day moorings above Hillmorton were choc-a-block so we had to continue past in the rain and find a mooring further on. We had wanted to eat at the Bistro but by the time we'd finally got sorted it was too late for the long walk back as last food orders are at 2 pm. Bah Humbug! Omelette du jour sounds a bit like Bistro food even when Brenda cooks it on board. (Egg and leftovers anybody?) Then it finally stopped raining. During the trip back to Hartshill I got smothered in mud passing by some very dirty road works near DIRFT so my shoes and the Di Blasi have now changed colour to a rather fetching Grey. Whilst I was fetching the car Brenda befriended some Napton narrowboat hirers who were studying the locks at Hillmorton trying to pluck up the courage to go down them. She explained how everything worked and so we hope they managed today because it had taken them 2 days to get here from Napton and they'll have to turn round soon.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Not as warm as forecast!

2010-09-05T07:51:00.001Z

Questions of the day :-

1. Has anyone lost a Fiat/Lancia 15" spacesaver spare wheel? - if so contact Jannock

2. Should a large dead dog be treated as an island for navigational purposes?

On a more cheerful note.

We meandered down the Coventry, passing and photographing the new bankside 'Rigdenhouse' at Bedworth, until an elegant two boat manoeuvre took us around Hawksbury turn into the North Oxford. The steerer of the other boat, coming through the lock, told Brenda that he was heading to Coventry (and she has witnesses) so that information was relayed to me at Jannock's tiller. Having set Jannock up accordingly, imagine my surprise when he appeared put of the turn heading North towards Nuneaton! Never mind, with a massed crowd of on-lookers sat outside the Greyhound, we both completed simultaneous turns without hitting each other or the bank. It's not often that happens - usually complex manoeuvres are only completed successfully in the absence of an audience.

We reinforced earlier traits by pulling over on the offside, just past Hopsford Aqueduct, to be alongside a free blackberry dispenser. Soon after that the canal got awfully busy. Blackberry rage? No chance! The first boat past enquired if we were aground and needing help. The second boat past and also asked if we had a problem. They then briefed the hire boat who passed next and they had a helpful list of other picking locations to try as they passed. In less than 15 minutes we'd completely filled Brenda's tupperware container. Blackberry envy more like!

We arrived at Brinklow just as the Angels, Simon and Jeanette aboard nb Clara, also moored up and so an official mini-GiG occurred aboard Jannock until midnight.

Incidentally - as we entered Hawksbury lock we passed a boat (Ian from Warwick IWA?)which had leapfrogged with the Manchester crew last weekend. He enquired whether they had left the boat clean and tidy for us. Oh ye of little faith.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

The Greater Manchester crew.

2010-09-03T19:06:00.001Z

Saturday 28th August:

Crew: Simon, Ellie, Ralf and Elin.

Aston Lock to Handsacre

Having car-shuffled the night before, and returned at 1am (after getting lost in the dark round Lichfield and Tamworth) Simon and Ralf weren't popular in the morning. Especially when Simon had the crew awake at 8.15 ready for a full day's cruising.

Locks were few and far between, and the miles passed as the crew marvelled at their luck with the weather. We did pass Mike and Krystina Wooding on Draco who were towing a butty northwards. Sunshine was occasionally interrupted by the odd spit of rain from a passing cloud, but the weather held...just. Ellie and Elin had their first canal boat driving experience, with Elin's Swedish sailing experience proving useful with figuring out the steering. Ellie, however, took a little longer to get used to the reverse nature of rudder steering.

Jannock took on water at Great Haywood junction while the girls ventured to the farm-store over the bridge, returning with delicious raspberries. As we moved off, the heavens opened, so a unanimous vote decided to stop for lunch while the rain passed. A delicious quiche and a number of cinnamon rolls later, we moved on, only to find ourselves held up at each and every lock by a slow boat in front. Frustrated, Simon decided, while waiting for Colwich lock, to hover the boat on the wrong-side of the cut while the crew raided the blackberries from the bushes next to the railway - thus untouched by countless walkers beforehand.

We passed the Boaters Christian Fellowship at Taft. Although we didn't stop, Ralf thought it very admirable that the BCF had allocated part of the bank as a "Swan area", although didn't understand how the swans would read the sign to know it was intended for them!

Rugely passed without incident and finally the crew moored in Handsacre, resisting the temptation of the Fish and Chip smell that drifted down the cut. Instead, Simon was making prawn thai curry, but forgot the thai curry spices and the coconut milk (later found in the car) so had to adapt the plans using a jar of Indian Tikka sauce in the cupboard (sorry Mum!).

In the evening, after a few drinks, Ralf (being German, and a huge Uno fan - ask him about his homemade 'Speed Uno'!) discovered Oh-No-99. The rest of the evening passed amid tears of frustration as we (a) kept losing games and (b) slowly lost the ability to count reliably. Elin was judged to be convincingly the most unlucky, managing to play half the time with at least two '99' cards in her hands...

Sunday 29th August

Crew: Simon, Ellie and Ralf.

Sadly, Elin had to return to Manchester, and a few hours were spent in the rain trying to organise her journey back home. Thus, cruising only commenced at 11.30, and so the remaining crew rushed to make good progress, hampered a number of times by heavy showers. Thankfully, full waterproofs were donned and the weather passed by the time we were most of the way down the flight to Fradley Junction. Strong winds meant that Simon crashed into everything possible while trying to navigate the turn onto the Coventry canal.

Frustrated by his less-than-elegant turn and the weather, he suggested that the crew take a break for a visit to the Swan to soak up the history. Sadly, the pub was rammed full of people eating Sunday lunch, but a quiet corner was found in the tardis-like basement. Suddenly, the sun was out again, so we moved outside to the tables around the back, finished our drinks and went back to the boat to make the most of the conditions.

Sadly, the wind picked up leading to several hair-raising 'drive round the corner sideways only to find a boat in a bridgehole immediately in front of you' moments which necessitated drastic action, generally resulting in a cruise under low branches, the crew jumping into the cabin and the driver's hair left full of twigs. Some of the weeping-willows on the Coventry canal need a serious trim! Two miles from Fradley junction, Ellie said "Ah, I've left my expensive coat in the pub..." Thankfully, the Nicholson's guide came to the rescue with the Swan's phone number, so arrangement were made to collect it on Monday.

North of Hopwas, Simon was appalled to see two hire boats moored up in the wood on the off-side, right next to the signs written in big red letters saying "DANGER - LIVE FIRING RANGE. KEEP OUT!" as the children ran off into the woods. Thankfully, the boats must have noticed my critical stares and decided to move on. Ralf and Ellie were pleased to see a traditional working boat and butty also moored in the wood (in a somewhat safer place, thank goodness) before we came into Hopwas. As we passed the visitor mooring, we were told "this is the last mooring for miles" but we continued, to find a 48 hr mooring in the middle of the village. Conveniently, this was about 50m from the Tame Otter pub, which was selected for dinner, drinks, and the venue for teaching Ralf and Ellie how to play Soddit. We then decided to see whether the Red Lion (on the other side of the cut) was worth a look, but the thumping music, "Two meals for £5" offers and the drunken people playing Wii bowling on a big screen put us off. We retired to Jannock for some more drinks and another game of Soddit.

Monday 30th August

Crew: Simon, Ellie and Ralf.

Monday heralded a beautiful sunny day, without a cloud in the sky: in fact the largest object available to obscure the sun was actually the moon! We left Hopwas fairly early, hoping to reach Atherstone before it got too late, but as soon as we reached Tamworth bottom lock, found ourselves in a queue. After proceeding through the Tamworth locks, Ellie and Ralf proceeded to perfect their driving skills as we headed back into the countryside, dodging low hanging trees, and boats steaming towards bridge-holes with ease. Finally, we arrived at the final challenge: Atherstone flight. We were due to do a pumpout before hitting the flight, but the sanny station at Grendon, below Atherstone flight, didn't cater for self-pump systems. Never mind - it can be done at the top of the flight...

Since we were now running behind schedule, it was agreed that we should attack the flight while snacking at regular intervals, and then eat an early dinner before heading home. By this time, the lock crew was a well oiled machine, and we kept having to wait for the boat ahead of us to leave the lock in front. After about 2 hours, the 11 locks were completed, and Simon went to find the sanny station across the way from the top lock. However, according to the resident of the lock-keeper's cottage, this station also is unsuitable for self-pumpout, as the connection to the main sewer system has been removed. He said that the official reason for this was because careless use kept leaving it blocked, but he strongly suspected that it was simply a ploy to force self-pumping crews to spend money at boatyards to have the deed done... If that's true, that's practically criminal!

Eventually, the tired (and slightly sunburnt) crew made it to Hartshill. Simon and Ralf had - lost on the car shuffle late on Friday night - parked Simon's car in the wrong place, and so Simon wandered a further half a mile down the cut to the Anchor pub to collect it. After cleaning, tidying and packing up, it was time to leave. Just as Simon was locking up, he found the suncream...

Thank you for a pleasant weekend. We hope to see Jannock again soon!

Edited by Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Shugborough Hall

2010-08-25T20:15:00.001Z

Sunday 22nd August

We have tried many times to visit Shugborough when passing by on the T&M but have failed for numerous reasons including it being closed or the Trent flooding the grounds. This time we decided to moor up on Saturday, lock up and take the car to visit it instead.

We arrived just before 11am and immediately visited the craft exhibits situated in the old stables between the entrance and the main house. We left here a little poorer due to the purchase of a couple of very nice turned Birch goblets which we'd watched one of being made whilst chatting to the lathe operator and his wife. We also explored the walled gardens.

We then decided we needed some sustenance before hitting the main house so we visited the restaurant and had a wonderful cooked meal. In future I would consider stopping here and wandering in from the boat just to eat an excellent meal as you would not need to pay the full admission fee to do so and the food was that good. I had game casserole whilst Brenda had a chicken breast cooked in a tarragon sauce. Both meals came with two types of potato, broccoli and parsnips. Excellent!

The estate was quite interesting being split into three sections, the main house, the servants quarters and the farm.

Brenda fell in love with the chandelier (pictured left) in the main room. We finished the visit with an ice cream and then set off for home at about 3:30.

I would recommend this visit to any passing boater even though the ticket pre-booking system is not practical, we had a great day out even at the full 'on the day' price!

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A short penultimate day

2010-08-21T16:36:00.001Z

A short run to a suitable 14 day mooring for our penultimate day on this trip. I hoped an early start would allow me to fetch the car from Stafford before it started raining - WRONG - I got a good drenching during the last two miles on the Di Blasi to Stafford Boat Club. We breakfasted on Staffordshire Oatcakes with 3 varieties of home made preserves before passing down through Meaford flight meeting only one northbound boat at the bottom lock. Good to see the top lock gate paddle ratchet has been mended since I reported it to the BW guy at Etruria last Monday. We continued down through Stone locks and then stopped to visit Aston Marina for a look see. They have a very good butchers stocking unusual meats like goat and venison as well as a deli and a selection of wines and local beers for sale in their farm shop. The prices in the shop were not of a Lidl standard but the selection of stock was high quality including upmarket ready meals available in frozen or chilled form. I got a couple of frozen croisants and chocolatines for tomorrows breakfast from their self service section. Laundrette facilities are also available to passing boaters with £3 giving you a wash and dry. We didn't check out the Bistro menu as MegaPixie has promised me a tinned Fray Bentos steak and ale pie (eat your heart out Beeky!) for dinner tonight but the establishment was very busy. We then moored up and I got the car ready for tomorrow's visit to Shugborough on the way home. Simon will be using Jannock next weekend so say hello if you see them.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

'F'ingberry Jam

2010-08-20T17:43:00.001Z

We started the day trying to pre-book tickets to visit Shugborough on Sunday. The saving was attractive however you have to collect booked tickets from Stafford theatre and the box office doesn't open on a Sunday. Useless then if you are unable to get into Stafford, no deal if you can only make Sunday, canal visitors forget it, you'll have to pay full price.

This morning we 'caused' blackberry rage! Having spotted an abundance of the blighters on the off-side we pulled over, only to find we were being followed by two other boats. There was plenty of room so we waved them by whilst hanging onto a substantial tree. As they passed us another boat arrived heading the other way. I signaled that he should stop for the overtakers. As they passed us they asked if we were OK, could they help? We explained we were harvesting blackberries and then reversed a bit after they had passed to allow the other boat a bit more room. As he came past his comments were frankly unprintable, suggesting we make up our effing minds and why let effing boats overtake there (on a wide straight stretch?) Our explanation that when we pulled over we didn't realise there were boats behind us caused more expletives. He passed us with plenty of room and more profanities. We can only hope he has the good fortune to meet inexperienced boaters in excessively long boats on tight and shallow bends during his trip on the Caldon ;^)

If the owner of the rather smart jacket that I had to clear off our prop after passing through Ivy House lift bridge would like to contact us I'll tell him which skip it resides in at Etruria.

On arrival at Planet lock we discovered that Cap'n expletive had caused some nasty paintwork damage to the first of the overtaking boats when they passed each other. We also had difficulty working all three boats through due to an obstruction behind the towpath lower gate and so I notified the lengths man at Etruria when we stopped for water. We saw that the Bywater hotel boats had winded at Etruria and we pointed back up the Caldon so there is hope for a spectacular meeting with Cap'n expletive as well as the boat they damaged yesterday.

We stopped for the evening at Oldroad bridge near the Wedgewood factory. I managed to polish the whole of Jannock's starboard side and Brenda made four pounds of blackberry jam before the rain set in.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

We beat the rain again ;^)

2010-08-19T17:56:00.001Z

Yet another very peaceful night, is it our overnight mooring choice or Jannock's new(ish) double glazing having this effect? We breakfasted whilst watching squirrels in the trees opposite gathering food whilst dangling precariously over the river. We then set off up the Churnet by 10 am, passing through Cheddleton and Denford before finally stopping at Park Lane Sani. Stn. where I used the wonderful shower facilities. Whilst we were moored there another boater was busy taking note of all of the BW telephone numbers he could find on the notice board. It would appear that he has been struck by the butty Karmataka, of the Bywater Hotel boat pair, and had suffered serious damage. He was most miffed that they had not stopped or shown any concern at all despite their guests bracing themselves for the impact. I gave him our 2009 copy of the Waterways World annual which contained all their contact details. Above Stockton Brook locks we happened across a BW volunteer work party busy clearing undergrowth from the bankside and tarting up the lock with fresh white paint. They had a tug and lighter which was blocking the bridge-hole on our arrival. They moved out and beckoned us forward without realising that another BW work-boat was ascending the top lock and we would have no-where to go if we'd moved forward. Brenda finally got Jannock through and into the lock once the other work-boat had come out through the bridge. We continued on to stop for the night at Milton and had moored up and moved inside just before it started raining hard and two hours later it is still doing so.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

What? The Black Lion is shut!

2010-08-19T16:44:00.001Z

Wednesday 18th August

Last night's mooring near Denford aqueduct was so quiet that we had a lazy start this morning. Round to the junction and then a very tight turn into the three Hazelhurst locks and back to Denford again. We continued on through Cheddleton locks and then stopped just after Basford bridge to go in search of a post-box. Mission accomplished we returned to Jannock and had lunch during a very heavy rainstorm. After lunch we continued on to Consall Forge where it rained again as we arrived. We filled the water tank and then winded and moored up for the night. The Black Lion has a sign on the door saying they will be closed all day Wednesday due to a planned power outage by their REC for some tree trimming work up the hillside. Luckily I have it on good authority that they will be opening in the evening so I'll still get my dinner ;^)

All afternoon during our run down from Cheddleton and our stay here there has been a DMU and a steam hauled train passing back and forth on the Churnet Valley Railway.

The Black Lion opened at 6:30 in the evening but were not serving their usual menu. They were only doing filled baps and baguettes so we ordered and added chips and onion rings to bulk it out into a main meal. We need not have bothered with the extras for when the hot beef baguette arrived it was about 15" long and really loaded which made it a lot to eat. We both had great difficulty in finishing our meals and felt totally bloated in the end. Brenda tried the 7% rum matured cider whilst I stuck to Celtic Gold bitter although I did finish the evening with a pint of Dartmoor IPA. We definitely recommend this establishment now it is in new hands.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Quiz night at the Holly Bush

2010-08-18T08:09:00.001Z

Tuesday 17th August

Well ...... last week, whilst at home, we had a text message from BW telling us that Jannock had been reported as showing an out of date mooring licence and how much money we needed to send to rectify the problem quick sharp. I rang the sender and explained that I only paid for a BW EOG mooring for the winter months when Jannock is at her mooring and spent the summer weekending around the system and not on my mooring. The BW person on the end of the phone found it very confusing as their computer did not specify my mooring as winter only. I suggested that as they had seen the boat on the Shropshire Union then it was unlikely to be a summer mooring either.

So ...... should we now ring her again and tell her that boat registration number 4000196 on the Caldon is showing an out of date licence (by 4 months now) and no mooring licence at all. It is after all one of theirs! (We know it doesn't need a mooring licence as it is a workboat - but fair's fair) The next one we passed, not 30 minutes later, was 'Not Displaying' at all. Come on BW, you make the rules!

We thought we'd go as far as possible along the Leek branch, moor up and then enjoy the delights of Leek on the morrow (market day apparently). We went through the tunnel, winded and then found no free moorings, they were all occupied. Two hire boats were locked up and abandoned to we thought they might move on before too long but they was no-where to wait for their return. So, having abandoned all shopping plans, we returned towards the junction and moored for the night by the aqueduct so that I could get some work done on Jannock (repack stern tube, adjust neutral switch and radio aerial filter) when the hire boats cruised past - Bah Humbug!

After dinner we went for a walk and wandered into the Holly Bush for a drink where we ended up helping a local quiz team, well joining it really! Brain cells were lubricated by a delicious perry straight from the barrel and Theakston's Grouse Beater. After the quiz Hot Staffordshire Oatcakes stuffed with cheese were served, a very pleasant evening.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

The sun came out today

2010-08-16T20:36:00.001Z

Our timing was perfect as we set off, the locks set by a boat coming down but not taken by the boat that followed us closely. We met Will Chapman on Quiditch and had another 'bobbing about' chat. At Etruria we set off to find the Pakistani shop recommended by the Gecko crew. We found it and bought more snacks than we should, savoury and sweet. Note to Geckos :- we got Citric Acid there, no questions asked. Onto the Caldon, spotting lush blackberry bushes ready for jam making. As we approached Milton we saw an advertising hoarding for the Millrace pub "Home Cooked Food". Himself, in the hope of a beer, offered to treat me to supper. We entered a rather nice pub ( turn left if you don't want huge TV), ordered a rather nice pint and a menu. "We dont serve anything other than a hot pie or baps" was the response. We pointed out that the canalside notice said otherwise. "Gets the punters here" was the answer. Mine host did recommend the local Indian so we went there instead. Head South from the canal bridge, through most of the village and it's in the old bank premises at the traffic lights. (For chippie turn right at the lights) We had a super meal, the veg was fresh even in the curries, real indian deserts were available and we had to turn down the complementary drinks as we'd eaten so well. They do take-aways too! info at http://www.spice-exchange.net

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A day for meeting friends

2010-08-15T20:09:00.001Z

I started the morning carrying out a repair to the TV aerial system and Peter and Margaret stopped for a chat as they were on their way out for the day. Repair completed we set off North to join a 4 boat queue for Hoo Mill lock. Near Weston we met Brenda and Brian (BCNS) heading south so hovered stern to stern midstream whilst catching up on a whole years gossip. Above Aston lock moored nb Red Admiral was displaying a Cutweb sticker but there didn't appear to be any sign of life aboard. At Stone we met a newby who was causing a 4 boat traffic jam at the approach to Star lock. His in-experience was due to the fact that he'd just picked up his latest Ebay purchase - an old narrowboat - and as he'd no experience or knowledge he was regretting his purchase already. Buyer beware par excellence. We hailed Nigel aboard ndb Enseabee as we slowly passed by on our way out of town before finally mooring for the night before Meaford locks. Here I fitted the new bicycle rack that I've fabricated for the stern rail and chained the bike onto it before retiring for the night. Brenda tested her new (to replace the one broken during Matt's cruise) slow cooker and did an excellent joint of beef ready for when we moored up. Delicious.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Jannock heads back to the Caldon

2010-08-15T19:46:00.001Z

Saturday 14th August

We arrived at Stafford Boat Club during a showery period and so spent a couple of hours getting Jannock ship shape after Matt's cruise. En-route from home we visited Aldi in Cannock to get some bread as Brenda had left her newly made loaf at home. Whilst there she was tempted by their "half chicken in Piri Piri sauce" from the chiller cabinet. 20 minutes in the oven and we can heartily recommend it as an affordable tasty treat. Our plans to do the Severn and Avon have been shelved in preference for a peaceful return to the Calden which will place the boat in a suitable location for Simon to use her over the bank holiday weekend. I reversed Jannock back to the winding hole and turned her whilst we chatted to Ann (nb Margarita) and her husband who had wandered across from their boat to introduce themselves. Nice to finally put a face to a Canals list poster. We set off North towards Tixhall wide with hopes of being able to moor there but all spaces were occupied and so we continued on to Great Haywood where we moored bow to bow with nb Gecko. Peter and Margaret joined us for an enjoyable evening before we finally called it a night at midnight.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Biscuit Pirates and other Ne'er Do Wells hoist the Jammie Dodger.

2010-08-08T18:01:00.001Z

Crew: Mat - Cap’n Garibaldi, Robin- Custard Cream. Ben - pirate Bourbon Benji,

Jonny - Fleet Commander Fox's and newly pressed Varney- pirate Nice.

Saturday 31st July

Here you will find the tales...nay the chronicles of the Biscuit Pirates. My crew travelled hard and far to meet at the good ol' tub Jannock. (Thanks Dad) With an 'argh' and a 'hoorah' we set off just as the cruel Mistress Drizzle backed off. Me crew looked like an untrustworthy bunch of landlubbers, and they are, but they took to the seas extraordinarily. Five locks later we came to shore after already having stopped for a flaggon earlier. (could have been worse, could have been a floggin'. ed.)We were enticed by the mystical arse tree (pics to follow). Drinks and joviality were to be had late into the night, with a few falling over mishaps (Ben).

Biscuits consumed: fig rolls, custard creams, Fox's crunch, malted milk, cookies.

Sunday 1st August

We set out for our first real voyage, a whole day of cruising, yargh! A flight of 20 locks lay ahead. After some hours of cruising and near enough 20 locks we sighted land and set ashore for a carvery and a beer at the pirate friendly Bridge Inn. With full bellies and an eye full of norks we boarded our vessel for the last locks and started looking for a place to weigh anchor. Pirate Nice (pronounced niece, it's a biscuit see? ed.)was initiated to the helm and once he'd learned left from left (right) he was as scurvy as the scurviest of sea/cut dawgs. We went ashore certain of an evening of rum and liars' dice. Yargh!!!

Biscuits consumed: Hobnobs, Bourbons, Pink wafers, cookies.

Monday 2nd August

We started the day off with 2 locks and bacon and brie sandwiches made by Fleet Commander Fox's. After that we cruised for a few hours to find many deep locks, none of which the Cap'n couldn't handle. We travelled through a very gray town and by about 7 we decided to moor up after we saved a girl from a silty, watery grave. Yargh! Pirate Nice cooked up a BBQ on the bank, 24 burgers and 8 sausages. We then sat and watched the sun set with a few beers until retiring for some gambling and more beers. It was a good day yargh.

Biscuits disposed of: 1 pack Jaffa cakes, 2 of Bourbons, custard creams and cookies.

Tuesday 3rd August

Today began with the usual cheer of 'Yargh!' from all of the crew before setting sail for Heartbreak Hill. many a double lock was encountered along the way, but each was made light work by the skilled crew. We stopped to pillage the wares possessed by the folks at Lock 57 and had ourselves some drinks and merriment at the nearby pub. Though we were tempted to loot and plunder the establishment for failing to provide food for our bellies we decided to try our remaining meat and eggs. Chef Jonny (Fox's)was displaying his fine cooking skills again. Later that evening pirate Bourbon Benji cooked up a mean lasagne to quench our thirst for meat and cheese. The evening ended with cards, beer and more cheer. (wot, no biscuits? ed.)

Wed 4th August

Me crew were up 'n at 'em early on a flea-bitten, extremely wet day. Leaving port at about 10.00 hrs the locks started immediately and clad in ship's waterproofs even these were made light work of. Captain Garibaldi piloted Harecastle Tunnel, claiming to be the responsible adult, ya-har-hargh! Landlubbers be easily fooled. Bourbon Benji left a souvenir, in the form of the magic light-box that requires neither gas nor candle. (That'll be Jannock's emergency zillion candle-power tunnel torch then ed.) A quick resupply of water after the tunnel was followed by a well deserved lunch of leftover lasagne with extra pasta mixed in. Lots of cruising and locks led us to turn into the Caldon Canal. It's extremely windy and quite nasty to start with but don't let that put you off. It's quite Birminghamesque but soon turns picturesque and nice and lovely. We stopped on a precarious mooring in order to be as close to the pub as possible. Good thing too as yet again we left with bellies full o' grub and eyes full of norks.

Thurs 5th Aug.

Our day began with the usual stirring of bodies at half 9ish. We set of fairly promptly after a walk to the local Co-op for more biscuity supplies. We pressed on down the Caldon at a good pace. The scenery kept on getting better throughout the day. A short lift given to some kids who really wanted to go on a real canal boat was granted after having spoken to a parent on the phone to make sure it was OK. As we passed more and more scenes of nice traditional buildings to do with the flint and limestone industries of the past, including a waterwheel, we were oblivious to the haven around the corner. The most amazing pub, 'The Black Lion' was the centre for our amusement, surrounded by lush, dense forest the pub is set back from a railway as well as the cut. Chickens roam the garden as well as crazy regulars. The cider selection was AMAZING. Both the rum and whiskey casked scrumpies were favourite @ 7.5% with the strongest being Ruby Soozie @ 10.5%. Black Hole, a local bitter/stout also comes highly recommended. We met a nice couple from the elder generation, called Andy and Liz who live aboard their boat. An extremely comical pair that we all got on extremely well with. So after Bourbon Benji had finished destroying the train station - you can't take him anywhere - we returned to the boat and ended up drinking the night away chatting rubbish with Andy and Liz, and offering Varney up for adoption.

Friday 6th Aug

The day began with a hefty hangover shared by all after much cloudy cider. We gave our last goodbyes to Liz and Andy and set off back down the Caldon. We made it all the way to civilization only to get a huge chunk of carpet around the prop. After pulling it out we made our way down the Trent and Mersey. We pushed as hard as we could to catch up on lost time, testament to this was catching up with a boat that had left half a day before us. A way down the Trent and Mersey we came to a section of canal with high concrete walls where we opened up the full power of the mighty Jannock. We finally moored up, had a few drinks, some card games and some more biscuties (sic) followed by bed.

Saturday 7th Aug.

With the holiday approaching the end we made haste to reach our destination before dark. Again the temporary crew of Jannock sprung into life to ensure we got there in plenty of time. Once again we encountered our Anglo-Irish friends whom we had overtaken and been overtaken by many times throughout the course of the week. Clearly we had the locking down to fine art! Once again Jonny organised a lovely pizza lunch which was consumed on the move to save time. After another few hours of steady cruising, and overtaking, dinner followed courtesy of Robin, a very cheesy affair. Soon we found ourselves at our destination, The Stafford Boat Club. We met with the folk at the club, all very friendly and hospitable, had some drinks at an extremely reduced price and talked about the events of the past week. An immensely enjoyable week had by all.

Almost two weeks ago.

2010-07-29T19:00:00.001Z

I've been so busy recently that I forgot to post the report for two weeks ago - Ooooops!

Saturday 17th July

It was raining when we arrived at Jannock and so we took our time preparing for the off and finally pulled the pins at 12:15. We immediately found ourselves 'piggy in the middle' in a three boat convoy until Cap'n Slow stopped at Gnosall. Brenda declared today to be 'National Peering into Windows Day'. A young girl passenger on a southbound dayboat exclaimed "They've got beds in their boat - it's not fair because we haven't" as they passed. We continued onto Norbury wharf where we stopped for diesel (59.9ppl plus tax at whatever rate you want to declare), a pumpout and a waterfill during which another gongoozler inspected inside every window from stern to bow exclaiming "this boat is just like a small house, it's even got a kitchen". That is the problem with large windows on a narrowboat which I'm sure porthole owners do not suffer from. The BW service block at Norbury is excellent with ironing board, shower, loos and a bookswap. We then continued on to Bridge 42 at High Offley so that we could pay our first ever visit to the Anchor where we spent an enjoyable evening with the locals which involved stories and songs, mostly about the Anchor and themselves.

Sunday 18th July.

We continued North out into the countryside, across Shebdon embankment until we found a suitable 14 day mooring where we pegged in and I then went to collect the car. Brenda had done a meal which we ate on my return before loading all of our stuff into the car ready for the homeward journey.

No. 2 son, Matt, and his crew will be using Jannock for the first week of August when they intend to travel up to Barbridge, across to Middlewich and then head South down the Trent and Mersey. Say Hello if you come across them and let me know if they're not behaving themselves. Also keep your biscuits hidden ;^)

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

No boating but 2 micro-GiGs

2010-07-15T19:29:00.001Z

On Monday Brenda and I travelled to Woolhampton for an evening meet up with Bruce and Sheila (nb Sanity Again) in order to deliver some papers, enjoy a pint in the Rowbarge and inspect their new home. We had a great evening of chat and catch-up which ended with a cup of tea before we left for home and my early work start on Tuesday morning.

Wednesday we collected Matt and drove to Salford for son Simon's (pictured) second graduation at the Lowry centre. Pomp and ceremony over, we headed into town for a meal and then walked through Castlefields on our way to Knotts bar to top up the beer levels. We spotted nb Gecko moored in the basin with no-one aboard. I tried ringing Peter but no reply so left a note in the cratch and sent him a text. This was responded to and so he and Margaret (aka She Who Must Be Obeyed ;^) came and joined for a chat before heading back to Gecko after an evening on the town.

Back to boating on Saturday, our last before Matt uses her for a holiday with his mates.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Sorry for the re-post

2010-07-09T15:18:00.001Z

I deleted a lot of spam from the Blogger site in-box and managed to delete the latest post - so I've had to repost it!

In response to the comment posted by Tom - thanks for the info about Selly Oak hospital. Unfortunately your comment was deleted when the linked post went into the void.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A rapidly diminishing three days.

2010-07-05T09:13:00.001Z

Friday 2nd July

I took leave today to get an extra days boating in but ended up volunteering to get a tooth removed after the previous three days of excruciating pain. Consequently we didn't leave home to travel to Jannock until 2pm.

We arrived and unloaded and set off North towards Kinver where we stopped to fill the water tank (the rest of the service block is still out of use). Although the boss reckoned I should be on light duties I decided to wash the towpath side of Jannock whilst we waited for the tank to fill - which included the removal of an extended family of slugs that had moved onto the blacking at the last mooring. We then moved out into the woods North of Hyde lock before settling for a night amongst the tweeting and shrieking of mother nature. So much for peaceful countryside ;^)

Brenda prepared an excellent meal of braised duck, saute' ed potatoes and crushed petit pois au Cannes (OK - tinned mushy peas) It was very scary as nigh on 20 ducks turned up and were definitely giving us the evil eye as we munched ours.

Saturday 3rd July

We awoke to a lovely sunny morning and set off after breakfast at 9am. We had no queuing at any lock, not even the Bratch (Wow- turn up and straight in!), until we approached Wightwick lock below Compton. Here we found a Hudson boat reversing back up through the lock as they had missed the winding hole above it. We decided to continue onto the Shroppie as we were so early rather than stopping at Compton as planned. At Oxley we said Hello to Orph but didn't see Wendy at all although Felus Catus II was open.

At Autherley junction Brenda went ahead to operate the lock and ended up joining a 'steering committee' of three people advising a newby hirer how to get his boat around the tight turn onto the Northbound S&W. Once through the stoplock we travelled up under the M54 and moored for the night on one of the S.U.C.S 48 hour moorings.

Sunday 4th July

Bird of the day - a very splendid Jay

A quiet night, a quiet breakfast and then off. Most of the canal traffic today was Southbound and we were lucky to meet most in the pounds rather than in bridgeholes. I was hoping to do a diesel fill at Wheaton Aston but they are not open on Sundays and as all the local moorings are 48hour we couldn't leave Jannock there till next weekend. We moved on in an increasing wind until we found a suitable 14 day mooring and stopped. Whilst we were eating our lunch a hirer scraped past, having had to move over to avoid an oncoming boat he then got caught by the wind and successfully clouted three out of three moored boats. The first boat owner gave him a right mouthful. We just shrugged shoulders and by the time he'd hit the third boat his wife was desperately trying to hide her head under the slide in embarrassment. Luckily the owner of that boat didn't mind either s shame on the prawn on boat 1.

It was good to see a charity bike ride go through - Helly to Selly(?) in aid of Help for Heroes. Not so good to see kids on motorbikes whizzing up and down the towpath in both directions. They were certainly underage, so uninsured, so heaven help anyone who became 'inconvenienced' by them.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Fathers Day on the Stour Cut

2010-06-21T18:23:00.001Z

We left a nice clean shiny Jannock at Stourport last weekend and in the week it rained. We arrived to find a really dirty Jannock. It's not 100% water ,that rain, it's 30% mud I reckon.

A beautiful day with the addition of a cooling wind. The canal and it's countryside corridor is very pretty hereabouts and we've awarded Kidderminster the most aesthetically improved town since 1999. OK, the improvements are basically retail parks and housing estates but they look better than the decaying industry that bordered the cut when we last passed through. However we still mourn the demise of manufacturing industry in the UK, those that spawned and were serviced by the canals we love. Some of the old canalside buildings have been re-styled very well. Kidderminster lock took the art prize. There are superb murals depicting a young male face of the 20s, 40s, 60s, 80s, 2000 and 2000+ all along the wall under the long bridge before the lock. Watch out Banksy!

I have dug out a photo taken when we did this route in Lacewing during 1999, the last year we hired before buying Jannock and have put it here with one taken on Sunday.

We continued North passing through some quite deep locks (I didn't remember them being that deep) and moored on a 14 day mooring so that I could go and fetch the car from Stourport. On my return Brenda had prepared dinner and so we ate, washed up, closed up and set off homewards. A crying shame as the weather is so nice at the moment.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A bit of river for a change

2010-06-18T19:09:00.001Z

You know you've been busy when you find yourself updating the blog for last weekend on the Friday evening of the following weekend - Oh well, I can blame 3 days in Glasgow and a funeral for that.

Saturday 12th June

Today, Jannock has mostly been attacked by an ASBO swan defending his mate and new brood from the nasty narrowboats. We started off from Oddingly and almost immediately came across Idleness moored just south of bridge 25. I spoke to the skipper who asked me to pass on his best wishes to the last owner when I next see him. It was then between the two Bilford locks that we came across the angry father of 3 very young 'ugly ducklings'. Not content with hissing and biting the rear fender he took to flapping down the cut like a demented ecranoplan and then gaining enough height to swoop down at the steerer who was suitably scared. Definitely an example of extreme family protection duty. Having survived that we continued down into Worcester and joined a queue for Blockhouse lock. I spoke to a BW guy there, who was cutting the towpath hedge, and enquired about the provision of 14 day moorings in Worcester. He advised that the only suitable moorings were here immediately above the lock and so we reversed Jannock past the three boats already on the moorings and pegged in up stream of them. I then went and fetched the car from Oddingly whilst Brenda went to mourn the Royal Worcester works (still cursing because she didn't have time to do the tour last time we were here in 1999) and wandered into the Commandery shop. A ceramics artist and lecturer was demonstrating his technique there but due to a lack of customers Brenda managed to get a one-to-one demonstration as well as a good long chat. Whilst I was driving back to Worcester in the car I spoke to Matt and arranged for him to feed the cats overnight so that we didn't have to go home. I then continued on to a handy car parking spot at Ombersley, half way to Stourport, and returned to Jannock on the Di Blasi again. Brenda quickly accepted the change of plan as nice weather was forecast for Sunday. In the evening we went on a walk around Worcester finishing up in an excellent Thai restaurant for a meal before returning to the boat.

Sunday 13th June

We awoke from a good sleep at a quiet mooring and set off down through Blockhouse and Sidbury locks into Diglis basin. As I was setting the top lock a CanalClub boat cast off and joined us down through both locks onto the river. We entered the river just as the rain started, not too heavy but just enough to dull Brenda's pictures of Worcester from the river. Well done to all the cheery souls who were doing a 'Walk-for-Life'. A lovely sea of Pink. Ooh-er missus - quote of the day! Brenda saw a group all dressed in tu-tus & bunny ears and said she'd like to get a photo of them as we passed under the bridge. My comment - "you can take them from behind!" and then I was confused because she laughed so much! We had a lovely day on the river including being over taken by a ladies coxless four at full pelt. Once we passed through the first lock it became fairly quiet boatwise and we shared all next two locks with the CanalClub boat as well. After leaving the last lock, following our partner, a large gin palace pulled out from its mooring and rushed past both of us towards Stourport. When we arrived at the entrance of the Stour cut, who should we find moored on the lock landing? Yes Cap'n gin palace. Brenda eased Jannock's bow into the bottom gates so that I could jump ashore and start setting the lock. I then spoke to Cap'n gin palace pointing out that there was another boat approaching who would need to stop on the lock landing. He pulled his boat back about 4 foot and then sat there drinking whilst watching the poor CanalClub boat flap about in mid-stream until Brenda took Jannock into the bottom lock and he could bring his boat up to the bottom gates. It was lucky that Mr CanalClub had more experienced boaters about as he had not come across a staircase lock in his previous 8 years hiring and started lifting paddles before we had left the lock he was emptying. We navigated our way through the basin to find another boat (narrow this time) moored on the lock landing for York Street lock right alongside the "No Mooring unless........... " sign. We just managed to get in front of him but let another boat who had just finished watering up on the opposite bank go into the lock first. Whilst we waited for a southbound boat to descend the owner of the narrowboat on the lock landing then took his dog for walkies whilst our CanalClub friends were once again floundering about trying to find somewhere to wait for the lock. As Jannock ascended the lock the aforementioned illiterate boater, and his dog, was sat enjoying a cuppa in the cafe garden alongside the lock. One word sprang to mind! Ho hum! We pulled over to moor on a 14 day mooring just as the weather failed us and the heavens opened. Luckily it stopped by the time I was ready to fetch the car from Ombersley.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

The six mile cycle ride

2010-06-07T21:02:00.000Z

We were only doing Saturday on Jannock this weekend and when we arrived at Stoke Prior I parked the car near the lock to make loading the Di Blasi onto the boat easier. We walked across the yard to find Jannock now had two more boats moored offside of her. We opened up and prepared to leave and then extricated Jannock from within the other two boats without the lass doing the turn-round on Robin (the most offside boat) even realising what had happened. Another Black Prince boat was ascending the lock and so Brenda expertly reversed back to collect me once I had secured the other two boats into our vacated slot. Having said our farewells to John Lucas at B.P. we then passed down through Stoke Bottom lock and set off towards the Astwood flight. Past Stoke Works where Jannock was built by J L Pinder & sons back in 1996 and straight into a fishing match. Fortunately there were only about a dozen rods of a very pleasant disposition which was a rare treat as they chatted and joked with Brenda as we went past them. The trusty lock wheeling bike was brought out to speed us down through the flight picking up a dozen free range eggs for £1.50p at the lock keepers cottage en-route. On past Hanbury wharf and through Dunhampstead tunnel before finding a suitable 14 day mooring and pegging in. It was at this point that I realised that I had not loaded the Di Blasi onto Jannock whilst passing through Stoke Bottom lock and so I had to cycle the 6 miles back to the car to fetch it. Not a good thing to do on such a warm day but luckily we hadn't travelled further.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Two fine days

2010-06-01T09:32:00.001Z

Sunday 30th May

We went to Crick show by car for a day out. What a change to do it in the dry weather. No queues to get in and then was asked by Sean to steer Laplander for a couple of test runs up and down the marina before he got all the Presidents men to come and play. Luckily I was wearing a white T shirt under my nice white shirt so I stripped off the top layer to let the T shirt cope with the inevitable smoke stack smuts and then changed again afterwards so that I didn't look too spotty whilst visiting the rest of the show. Didn't spend too much money but got some good ideas.

Monday 31st May

With the able assistance of our neighbour Bob we have mostly been descending Tardebigge flight. We left Alvechurch and passed through the two tunnels before arriving above the top lock. I have done this route before but never really noticed how the 580yd Tardebigge tunnel is mostly unlined with bricks being carved out of solid rock. I'll make sure I've got a good torch alongside the steering position when we next pass through to get a good look. We had a good run down the 29 locks in the flight following two other boats so Bob elected himself as lockwheeler and went ahead setting the next one ready whilst I worked Jannock through. A pause for a boat ascending the flight allowed us to eat the pre-prepared lunch and completed the flight in about 3 hours meeting a total of three boats coming the other way. We wanted to moor below the flight but the towpath was very wet due to excess water overflowing from the cut so we continued on down through five of Stoke Prior flight. As we were filling the bottom lock I popped into the Black Prince office for a chat with John Lucas who immediately offered us a mooring for the week in his yard. Now that's what I call after sales service as it is now almost 10 years since we bought Jannock (previously Powys) from him. Brenda was amused by the Duck castle located in their yard, fit for any MPs property! We ate dinner before closing up and heading home once I had fetched the car from Alvechurch.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A few pictures from this Spring

2010-05-24T14:59:00.001Z

President and Kildare at Cosgrove

Looking back down Lapworth

Adder passes us on the Northern Stratford

Doing a pumpout at Kings Norton

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

What a difference the sun makes ;^)

2010-05-23T18:41:00.002Z

Saturday 22nd May

We arrived at Jannock and I immediately moved the car to an easier parking location after unloading. Started her up and moved for 2 minutes onto the waterpoint to refill the tank and wash down the port side to try and remove some of the ash cloud that seems to have settled on our boat. Then off up the G.U. to Lapworth junction where we turned left and then right onto the North Stratford and the eighteen locks of the Lapworth flight that we had to pass through today. As we rounded the bend and approached lock 14 we espied two Alvechurch boats heading down the flight, the second boat was emptying it's lock before the one in front had started filling his and so a lot of water was being wasted over the weirs. We passed the first boat between 14 and 13 and then noticed the second was winding in the side moorings below lock 12 so we sat tight in lock 13 and watched with interest whilst consuming an ice cream I purchased from the shop alongside. They finally managed to turn and so we then followed them all the way up to above lock 6 where they moored up for lunch. One of their crew obviously felt guilty about the delay and so he back emptied for us to make the road slightly better. There was a definite shortage of water above lock 10 with the bottom being too close to the top even for Jannock.

It was a really beautiful day weatherwise. Brenda had never noticed before how luscious Wisteria smells when in full bloom. Amongst all the meadow flowers I spotted a Jay in bright spring plumage. We finally moored for the night just after Earlswood MYC in the wooded cutting, immediately below an Oak tree. A very peaceful mooring with plenty of wildlife to watch whilst relaxing in the cool of the evening. No sign of the badgers in what looked like a sett in the opposite bank before I finally retired to bed.

Sunday 23rd May

Blimey - two dry sunny days in a row, this must be summer 2010. An un-eventful day's cruise, after sweeping all the caterpillar droppings off the roof, with a self pumpout at Kings Norton being the highlight of the day. Even the fishermen were pleasant, especially the one who hauled in a goodly sized fish immediately in front of us as we passed him. Wasts Hill tunnel was wetter at the Southern end although the steerer didn't resort to a brolly like Braunston. Finally moored up on a 14 day mooring, after a pizza lunch on the move, and I returned to Lapworth on the Di Blasi to fetch the car whilst Brenda packed and tidied ready to go home. Wouldn't it be nice if this weather stays for the bank holiday weekend next week - I quite fancy a day at Crick, haven't been for many years now.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Soddit Cruise #1 2010

2010-05-16T20:47:00.001Z

Saturday 15th May

Having settled in on the Friday evening by playing 5 games of Soddit before retiring to bed the crew of three (yes, we are missing one abscondee) stirred into action with a couple of bacon sarnies before setting off from Long Itchenden towards Warwick. We shared the first six locks with a Canalboat Club craft but then changed partners when it's crew decided to stop for breakfast. Luckily there was a single boat (Victoriann) following us down the locks so we waited and let them join us for the last three locks down to the bottom pound. We stopped for lunch and a session of non-contact fishing after Bull bridge and then continued on through Leamington and Warwick to the Cape locks which we passed up through solo. Above Cape we paused for a short chat with Kev Day who was moored on the visitor moorings there, we met him last year on the BCN Explorer cruise. As we were quite early we decided to start ascending the Hatton flight (last completed by Brenda and I in 2007) and passed through the bottom lock solo following a solo hire boat who was in the lock above. I sent Ian to let them know we were following and to try and get them to wait but they were chasing their friends who were also going up solo one lock in front. They paired up and having followed them up three locks we decided to stop for the night above lock 30. Whilst waiting for dinner to cook the evening entertainment was provided by Saffron the spaniel who, ignoring her owner, leapt into the canal and proceeded to chase a mother duck and her brood of 13 ducklings up and down the pound until she wore herself out. Throughout this Saffron's owner was desperately trying to coax the single minded dog across to the bank to haul her out but Saffron was having none of it. She finally gave in and submitted herself to the bank to be un-ceremoniously dragged from the cut and taken home. We ate Paella (without Saffron in it ;^) and then played another 4 games of Soddit before calling it a night at 11:30.

Sunday 16th May

I had intended to arise early and fetch the car from Long Itch. but the persistent rain on the roof at 5:30 and then 6:00 convinced me to stay in bed and collect the car later. As we untied to start the next 16 locks of Hatton flight I noticed a single boat coming up lock 30 and so we waited until Black Velvet joined us before making remarkable progress up the rest of the flight meeting only 3 southbound boats. As we ascended through the top lock Brian had Land of Hope and Glory playing loudly on Jannock's stereo much to the amusement of the gongoozlers present. We celebrated with an icecream from the cafe before passing, and saying farewell to, the moored Black Velvet crew and continuing on. Another rendition of Land of Hope and Glory followed by the Dambusters march saw us pass through Shrewley Tunnel with applause from a southbound boat. Crisis on the provisions front - the Vale beer supply has run out midday on Sunday. The only fish seen all weekend was in the Paella last night. We moored up on a 14 day mooring and had dinner before I went and fetched the car. Surprisingly we had no rain all weekend other than that experienced during the early hours of Sunday morning although it could have been a lot warmer without that strong wind.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

What a difference a day makes

2010-05-09T17:50:00.001Z

Saturday 8th May

We arrived at Jannock during persistent light rain and so spent the first couple of hours sealing the joints on the new secondary double glazing. Once this was completed we set off in the drizzle and followed an ABC hireboat through Braunston tunnel. We smelt the booze aboard the second southbound boat we met before they had even reached us mid tunnel, they were partying big-time and making a lot of noise in the process. We shared the flight with the ABC crew - it was their first ever lock and so Brenda and I turned into instructors. By the third lock Brenda had their steerer running parallel with Jannock between locks whilst another member of their crew was setting ahead - Result! Out of the flight and through the melee of boats commonly known as Braunston till we espied Draco and Allsorts moored on the towpath together. We pulled alongside for a chat with Mike and Krystina for a while before heading down to the junction and turning left towards Napton. We moored for a very peaceful night, at bridge 102 near Flecknoe, after a very cold and wet day.

Sunday 9th May

I was up at 6am and went to fetch the car from Welton to move it to tonights destination. We breakfasted on my return and then cast off in nice sunshine accompanied by a cold north easterly wind. As the sun got stronger and the clouds became fewer the wind also dropped - what a difference from yesterday. We did the top two locks at Calcutt solo but the boat in front waited for us to share the third lock with them. We though this bode well for Stockton flight but they announced they were returning to their mooring in Calcutt marina - shame. Today must be 'Charity activity' day because whilst we were descending the flight solo we had a charity bike ride coming up the hill and a charity "Hula" walk going down. We got into a good rhythm and completed the flight in 1hr 15 mins. We pulled onto the water point opposite the Blue Lias and enjoyed a chat with Sean, who was supposed to be painting Laplander, whilst the tank filled. We then went down the next lock and passed Virgo where there was evidence of the cat being at home but no Guy. We finally moored up on 14 day moorings ready for a Soddit cruise next weekend, had a meal and then headed for home.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A veeerrry cold day in May

2010-05-03T19:26:00.001Z

We arrived at Jannock and were off, heading North, by 9:45. By eck it's cold at tiller. There was a very strong northerly wind that cut right through and within the hour insult was added to injury by the first downpour. The weather forecasters obviously got it wrong when they stated Monday would be the best day for weather during the bank holiday weekend. We cruised up through Bugbrooke, Heyford and Weedon with very little to comment on until we reached Buckby locks. The boat that had been following us since Heyford decided to wind between Diamond bridge (19) and Muscot Mill Bridge (18) and so it looked as though we would be doing another flight solo. Every lock had lots of foamy bubbles floating in it which multiplied when the paddles were opened. Brenda discovered that if she squashed the foam between the boat and the offside lock wall she could shoot it about using the exhaust as she left the lock. We met three southbound boats but also had two downpours during the flight and my waterproofs were wet inside as well as out because I was so warm working the flight. Finally cleared the top lock by just after 3pm and moored up for the next four days. Did a Di Blasi run back to Gayton (17 miles) to collect the car and then had dinner aboard Jannock before setting off homeward.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

A good workout at Stoke Bruerne

2010-04-30T20:54:00.001Z

We arrived at Cosgrove just after 10am and I prepared Jannock and moved her up to the lock whilst Brenda chatted to the couple bringing their hire-boat down. Once traversed we then pulled Jannock over above the lock to load the Di Blasi and the Polycarbonate sheets for the secondary double glazing we are installing. The suppliers originally supplied 3mm Makrolon panels but they had been stored badly before cutting and were so bent that the magnetic strip designed to hold them in place over the window frames could not keep them there due to the warp in the sheets. They have since supplied a replacement batch of totally flat 4mm panels which should do fine.

We travelled on past Thrupp and Yardley wharves (and marinas) to the bottom of Stoke Bruerne flight of locks. The first set of five (16 - 20) were traversed alone with me having to close the top gates and empty every lock so that it was ready for us. As I arrived by bike at No 15 another boat was just entering and so we shared the last two with them. I'm not sure whether it was them that were ahead of us during the first five as they were moored around the corner when I checked for southbound traffic before turning No 16. All in all the flight was a good work-out and I actually feel tired tonight. On through a very wet tunnel to emerge the other end into a very wet grey landscape so Brenda, having steered her first long tunnel since she 'came over all peculiar' in Wasts Hill several years ago, went inside to keep dry. The rain stopped and the sun came out just before we decided to call it a day and moor up.

I returned to Cosgrove on the Di Blasi and collected the car. We then fitted all the Makrolon panels onto their magnetic strip fasteners and then fitted them to the window frames. We immediately noticed a big reduction in noise from outside so look forward to seeing how well they work in colder or warmer weather. Home this evening due to other things to do this weekend that do not involve getting wet on a boat ;^)

Graham

Well, one out of two aint bad!

2010-04-25T16:40:00.001Z

Sat 24th April

We arrived at Jannock and immediately moved up onto Slapton waterpoint to fill the tank whilst unloading the car at the same time. We then set off through Slapton lock and arrived at Church lock just after a single handing lady had left ahead of us. We then shared Grove and Leighton lock with her but did Soulbury three solo as she had paired up with a Wyvern hireboat ahead. Between Leighton lock and Soulbury Brenda managed to disturb a very well camouflaged tabby cat who was enjoying a snooze in the sun by casually tossing her pear core into the hedge where it landed on the mog's head. Did it jump!

As we passed the layby on the Bletchley to Stoke Hammond road we picked up a fisherman's tackle on the prop. His reel was squealing and as he was a novice he didn't know what to do. We stopped and untangled his line from the propeller without breaking it. All of the fishermen there were very apologetic about ruining our afternoon. It was funny because it was his first catch - all 62' and 15 tons of it! We moored for the night just past the proposed MK to Bedford waterway junction and so we went for an evening walk along the signposted route and back past Willen lake. A wonderful day with warm sunshine and nice fishermen.

Sun. 25th April

Rain in the early hours modified my plans for a pre-breakfast car shuffle on the Di Blasi whilst Brenda slept in. She'd promised the weather gods that she'd not be cruel to neither man nor beast, cat nor fisherman today. Did they listen? No they just did cold and wet until we finally moored up for the day - then the sun came out.

We were pleased to finally say Hello to Mike Askin as he passed on a resplendent Victoria en-route for Canalway Cavalcade. Hot on his heels ( in canal terms obviously ) were President and Kildare, bound I am sure, for the same destination. Then Bletchley and Argus went past Northbound before another working pair, Kestrel and Vienna, passed by heading South. It was definitely 'Working Boat Day' today. With car fetched from Slapton, we closed up and headed home. Roll on next weekend cos it's a long un!

Graham

It must be weird living near Heathrow at the moment!

2010-04-19T08:38:00.001Z

Saturday morning we moved our stuff onto Jannock, said farewell to Julian and Caro and set off North for the summer. We travelled solo up to Berko where I admired the new signs that adorn the bridge adjacent to Raven's Lane lock. We then followed two boats working up ahead of us through Northchurch, and Dudswell locks but they were kind and backset for us when no-one was coming South. The trip up to the summit was made much more pleasant due to the amount of work that BW has done to the overhanging vegetation and also the lock gates. Onto the summit and a well earned rest for the lock wheeler. The new gel-cover for the bike saddle is excellent. We turned into the Wendover arm at Bulbourne Junction and made our way down to the winding point where we moored for the night. The last couple of times we have stopped here the noise from the aircraft using Luton has been quite intrusive, this weekend it was wonderfully quiet with only sheep and frogs making any noise.

Whilst moored for the evening I fitted my new large Cutweb stickers to the bows of Jannock, and I am very pleased with the result. Not quite as good as Harnser's painted ones but maybe we'll do that next time.

Sunday morning started bright and sunny so we set off for the Marsworth flight. The wind decided to hinder Brenda's attempts to get Jannock round into the top lock from the arm and so I had to assist with the long pole. We shared the next eleven locks with a Wyvern hireboat until they decided to stop for lunch. Aviation is still grounded and so the skies are owned by the skylarks. After we had moored, I did the car shuffle on the Di Blasi and returned in the car for Sunday dinner. We then returned home via Aylesbury. A wonderful weekend in great weather.

Graham

www.jannock.org.uk

Spring has sprung ..

2010-04-10T19:27:00.002Z

.. and so it's time to turn Jannock round. We arrived at the mooring just in time to find Julian and Caro setting off North in Parglena for a weekend trip to Berko. I then washed the winter off of Jannock's roof, also did the port side, rear deck and front well before we cast off for our regular trip down to Winkwell winding point to turn her around. Nothing much to report, we did all the locks solo and Brenda performed her best turn-around so far. It does help when you haven't got some jerk moored on the winding point like last year. Back up through locks 61 and 60 without issue. Took great delight in holding up a youth in his souped up Peugeot at Winkwell swing bridge, he just kept revving the engine making a lot of noise while he waited. As I was walking up the towpath from 60 towards lock 59 I noticed that the canal is leaking water quite badly through the bank into the river below about a third of the way up. I have notified BW of my observations so hopefully they'll send someone along to have a look before we get a full scale breach. Back to the mooring to wash the starboard side so she's all clean ready to start the 2010 cruise. Back home tonight as we have a birthday related event tomorrow. If we're lucky we might set off North next weekend.

Graham